The Third Soldier: Another Heart
by Catfish Tango
Summary: Three soldiers, three friends, reunited. One had to leave again, leaving the others. Each of them reckoned the other's will. Story based on Artemis' Two Soldiers. Shoujouai implied. Chapter Thirteen: Bonds shattered long ago...
1. Prologue

Author's Note: I'm new here, and this is my very first fiction to be published here, therefore, I will need every little help I can get to get improved. Just to warn you all, this story is based on another SO3 fanfiction titled Two Soldiers: Fire and Ice authored by Artemis' Bow (yes, this is a fanfiction of a fanfiction), hence, there will be some shoujo-ai implied as well. This is only a prologue, so it's (very) short in nature. Please read and review. Enjoy.

Disclaimers #1: Star Ocean characters, names, and its related properties are the rightful properties of Square-Enix. I don't own any of it except a copy of the game, and my own original characters in this fic.

Disclaimers #2: Once again…this is a fanfiction of a fanfiction. A credit to Artemis' for her excellent work which forms the groundwork for me to tinker with, her approval, and on the top of that, her encouragement. Without those, I'll never have the courage to publish this.

**The Third Soldier: Another Heart**

**Prologue**

Palmira Plains, Aquaria, halfway to the riverfront village Arias, three days after the destruction of the celestial ships in the skies of Aquaria-Airyglyph border.

An Aquarian female soldier stepped up a hill. Her jet black eyes scanned her surroundings, looking for any possible problem that might hinder her cause.

"The road ahead is clear. At this rate, we should be able to reach Arias before sunset." She lifted her voice, as if talking to herself, then looked back to see another soldier of her company, "Sisera, tell the men to get ready. We'll march soon."

"Yes, ma'am."

At the blow of the adjutant's horn, a rank of 200 men rose to their feet. Most of them are fresh soldiers who hadn't actually tasted war at its fullest. Yet, they were destined to head to a place which once had been the fiercest front line during the Aquaria-Airyglyph war—Arias.

Fortunately—or unfortunately, depending to whom you're talking to, whatever they were going to do there was far from warring Airyglyph.

---

"Commander Yvikka?"

The dark-haired commander looked up at the soft voice beside her, and was slightly perplexed upon finding her adjutant's almost-lost look on her face.

"What is it? Is something bothering you?"

Sisera, the adjutant, slowly shook her head, as if trying to get something off it.

"I just want to ensure once again: It is the Shield Legion which is in charge of Arias, correct?"

"That's correct. Why do you ask?"

Her adjutant sighed, her amber-colored eyes locked to her commander's jet black, "Then why would we, the Chain Legion, be the ones sent there? Wouldn't it be more appropriate if they send another company of the Shield Legion?"

The question was met by a shrug from her commander, but from the looks of her face, Sisera was certain that Yvikka had a guess about it.

"I don't know that for sure, but I am sure that this must be Magistrate Laselle's idea."

"Laselle?"

"Yes. Try think about it a bit. If a company of the Shield Legion was to be the relief force for Arias, _that_ company would have to be from the Aquios garrison. Magistrate Laselle probably saw that as 'security compromise', therefore, he decided he couldn't afford the attempt."

Sisera frowned upon the answer. Her face was anything but pleased.

"That makes sense," the brunette adjutant sighed while faintly nodding her head, "When Laselle is around, nowhere seems to be safe enough to him."

Sisera then glanced over at her commander, and decided to get some other piece of her mind off.

"And it seems that you are... unusually pleased with that, commander," she asked teasingly.

The commander smiled, giving her adjutant another teasing look of her own, and replied with a smile.

"Why should I be displeased either?"

While the answer had genuinely made her adjutant become reluctant to ask any further, Yvikka was truly happy beyond words for she was given the taskof Arias. She was happy for she had been given the chance to work closely with some certain persons who had always fascinated her.

End of Prologue


	2. The Cherished Ones

Disclaimers # 1: Star Ocean names, characters and all of its related articles are the rightful properties of Square-Enix. Therefore, they are not mine. All I have are the copy of the game, my original character in this fic, and some of the plot.

Disclaimers # 2: This is a fanfiction based on another fanfiction titled Two Soldiers: Fire and Ice authored by Artemis' Bow. Her excellent piece of work and her approval contribute greatly to this fic.

Author's Note: Out of lack of reviews, out of lack of ideas, here goes the 'real' chapter one. I tried as best as I can to get the story rolling. Please tell me if you think I'm not doing that so well. If you like this story, then part of the credit shall go to Artemis' Bow. Her great support and encouragement have given me the courage to write and publish this fic that I wouldn't have otherwise.

I am still totally open to comments and suggestions. Even more, I _want_ them, so, please read and review. Enjoy.

**The Third Soldier: Another Heart**

**Chapter One: The Cherished Ones**

"Clair, they're here."

The ever-familiar voice made the silver-haired Shield Legion commander look up from the reports she was reading. As her head came up, her widened eyes eloquently expressed the next thing that would come out of her soft lips.

"It's the relief you'd requested, from the look of them," Nel answered the commander's question before it was even put into words.

The answer made a bewildered look creep its way onto the commander's face. Clair had honestly expected her requested relief force to come, but she was surprised by the reality that the relief had already come. Clair knew that her messenger would need at least two days to reach Aquios, and a company of soldiers from the Aquios garrison would take at least three days to make it to Arias—not to mention the time needed for preparation.

And this was only the fourth day since her messenger had left.

"Really? That was fast. I thought it would take them five days at the least."

"Five days, if they march directly from Aquios," the redheaded warrior then shifted, giving her friend space to look outside the conference room's window, "But they are definitely from Peterny," she tilted her head, wiping out tails of red obstructing her green eyes, and then remarked, this time with a slight hint of annoyance, "This must be Laselle's doing."

Clair leaned herself on the windowsill, trying to get a clear view through the partly dusty glass, "Chain Legion banner...yes, they're definitely from Peterny," she turned, looking at her beloved friend, a smile on her face, "No wonder, then. It only takes a day walking from Peterny."

"It's good that the relief came sooner," Nel turned, looked at her friend in the eyes, her face holding a hint of seriousness, "But a different branch has a different way of working, which may sprout problem in the chain of command, don't you think?"

"Do you think we're any different?" Clair returned the question, smile still on her face, looking at the redhead, "I am the Shield Legion commander, and you are the Secret Legion commander, and we're working together here, rebuilding Arias."

"And yet, I don't see any problem with it, unless _you_ have one with me," Clair finished her argument with an even wider, victorious grin on her face.

Nel hated losing, both in fighting and—in some cases—arguing. However, her 'adversary' was someone whom Nel wouldn't mind losing to. In fact, she enjoyed looking at Clair's triumphant expression for reasons she didn't know.

"As you wish, Clair," the redhead closed her eyes, admitting her loss while tilting her head down, leaving her small smile hidden by the thick scarf.

"But, Clair…"

…_It's all because we know each other so well, while now we do not know what kind of person the Chain Legion commander is…_

That part of her thoughts was never worded, for Clair had already spoken the answer.

"Nel, I think you worry too much. There's no need to. The Chain Legion commander is one of the finest commanders I've ever known in Aquaria," the silver-haired commander reassured, one hand on the spy's shoulder, "I am sure that we can work together with her."

"You know her?"

"Of course I know her. With all the Legion commanders reporting directly to me over time, how could I not know them? Besides, she was…"

A knock on the door interrupted Clair's sentence. Behind the door were Clair's aide, who soon stepped into the room and saluted the Shield Legion commander, and two other figures clad in soldier's attire.

"Lady Clair, the Chain Legion commander and her aide are here. They request to see you."

"Thank you. Let them in. Also, please get all the squad leaders to gather here. We're going to have a general meeting," Clair answered her aide, using her 'commander's tone.'

"Ma'am,"

"Since she's here already, I think it's better for you to see her yourself," said Clair, her eyes on her friend.

At the gesture from Clair's aide, the two figures stepped into the conference room. The first one had short, jet-black hair and proud eyes of similar color with a slightly tanned complexion that stood out brightly in contrast to her hair. Unlike most Aquarian female soldiers, who preferred rather form-fitting outfit to aide agile movement, she donned attire similar to that worn by the Aquarian male soldiers: a dark gray long-sleeved tunic covered her torso, fastened by a broad belt strapped on her waist, and loose-fitting pants of similar color. Padded gauntlets were wrapped around her forearms, and padded leggings covered her shins. A long sword of over two feet hung from the belt, while a shorter one, a sixteen-inch-long side sword was thrust into the sash worn around the belt. The other one, a brunette with eyes of amber and pale skin, also wore similar dress.

The dark haired glanced over the conference room. Her black eyes looked first at the crimson-haired commander, and then locked on Clair's browns. She then brought her right hand up to her chest, saluting, "Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf, commander of the Chain Legion and her aide are hereby to report their arrival as the requested relief force for Arias."

Nel and Clair replied to the salute rather absently. Their eyes were fixed on the dark haired soldier. Long moments of silence reigned before Clair finally melted the frozen atmosphere with her warm smile.

"Welcome, Yvikka," the silver haired commander greeted her fellow commander, putting one hand onto the other's shoulder.

Yvikka smiled broadly at the warm greeting, "Lady Clair, Lady Nel, I'm glad to find both of you have been keeping yourselves well."

Her reply was no mere greeting. It was a greeting from the heart. Yvikka was truly relieved beyond anything that she had seen the two people she cherished most alive and well.

Her thoughts drifted back to the day when the celestial ship first appeared and devastated both Aquarian and Glyphian forces. Upon learning the situation, she was nearly thrown into panic, wishing to do anything but stay put in Peterny, which she almost didn't do. After the bombardment, when chaos and panic erupted throughout the land, her orders remained practically unchanged: to strengthen the town's defense and keep it under control—no mentioning of directly supporting the frontline was ever there. She had volunteered herself and some of her troops to go to Arias, but the magistrate hadn't approved it. Even before the coming of the celestial ships, she had been uneasy for the two women were sent to the frontline, while she was told to stay back and do essentially…

…_nothing…_

Nothing angered her more than an order to stay idle while she knew that someone, especially the two she held in such high esteem might need her, and she had almost gone crazy from it. Her soldier's composure, her fellow soldiers, knowledge of Master Fayt's presence and power, and most importantly, the overflowing intelligence reports from the Secret Legion and the letters requesting aid from the Shield legion which denoted the well-being of the two commanders were the only things that had kept her from bolting directly to Arias.

Her train of memories stopped at the present. As reality came flowing back to her, her hand reached for the scroll she had put into her tunic. The magistrate, Laselle, along with the Queen of Aquaria herself had briefed her about the growth of an undesirable situation resulting from the abrupt alliance between the two kingdoms. And that was what the scroll would tell them about. She knew that the two commanders would be once again put onto the frontline, and she hated it.

But this time would be different, for she also knew that she would be with them in this.

Clair, who already had her squad leaders gathered in the room, turned only to see the dark haired commander looking lost.

"What's wrong, Yvikka? You're looking strange. Are you well?"

"I…no…yes, I'm fine, Lady Clair. I just…"

"Just what?"

She sighed, half unsure of what she should say, "I just…I'm afraid that my coming here is not…is actually not as the relief you've asked for," she managed with a forced smile.

"What do you mean with that?" Clair asked tenderly despite the unpleasant surprise.

"Here," shoulders heavy, Yvikka handed over the scroll, "An order from Her Majesty."

Clair received the scroll, ripped the seal, and opened it. Her expression, though seemingly unchanged, bore hints of total seriousness. The change in her mood, however, was only noticeable by one particular person.

"What is it, Clair?"

Clair handed the scroll to her redheaded friend, "Take a look at this," she replied, her voice serious, "I knew this would happen sooner or later."

The red-haired Crimson Blade took the scroll from her friend's hand. She then read it carefully from the beginning to the end.

"I see," was Nel's only response, "We'd better begin the meeting, then."

"Let's start then."

---

The squad leaders of the branches of the Aquarian military were rather dismayed at the news brought by the Chain Legion commander. The Chain Legion company that had arrived earlier was not to _relieve_ Arias' defense force, but rather, to _strengthen_ it, which meant that there would be few, if any, troop replacements.

"…I am sorry; the current circumstances were brought on by the Queen's growing concern about the increasing signs of activities by the groups opposing the alliance between the two kingdoms," Yvikka managed her explanation, her voice heavy, her chest so filled with guilt from seeing the expressions her news brought to the soldiers' faces that she felt it would choke her to death at any moment. She never liked to be the one to bring distressing news.

"Due to the location, as well as its condition, Arias is playing a vital role in determining the verve of the alliance. Therefore, we can expect that this place is a likely target to arouse negative sentiment…It would only take a small incident here to stir the hostility of our people toward Airyglyph, and we can't let that happen, especially in this kind of situation." Clair added, her voice low with the understanding of the situation, but her last clause was said with strong inflection signifying her determination.

At Clair's cue, Nel then took over the meeting, "According to the latest intelligence, the biggest of the Aquarian anti-alliance or the anti-Airyglyph group has based itself in Peterny, where it has received a huge backing from the merchants. Fortunately, the Chain Legion has been able to cut off the merchants' support, which reduces the once solid group into ragtag groups of criminals. However, there's only a little information regarding the Glyphian anti-alliance groups. We don't know their size or power, where they're based, or what they're comprised of, but…" she stopped, looking to the whole room knowing that the most unlikable part of her information is about to come.

"…We know that there are quite a number of Glyphian soldiers of various branches, including the Dragon Brigade—and their dragons—who deserted their posts not long after the alliance is formed."

Silence reigned, for everyone in the room knew the possibilities that might occur out there. Especially the spy, for she knew that warmongers still had power in Airyglyph. The fact that they had attempted to intercept the queen on her way to the negotiation with the King of Airyglyph was evidence of that, and she had not the desire to discourage the soldiers even further by speaking that out. Clair, however, rose from her chair.

"I know that you are all tired of this already, and I can't blame you," the commander's voice was soft, caring, if not motherly, yet had the power to draw the attention of the distressed soldiers, "You may leave the town if you want. I won't stop you. I'll even write the recommendation letter for you, but I beg of you all…please, stay with me for a little while longer. We have gone this far together, and I am thankful for that, but my duty is to ensure that Arias and its citizens are safe and well, and I will see it through."

Along with the request, not an order, the silver haired commander bowed deeply in front of everyone in the room, startling them.

_Not an order. A request._

Nel smiled. She knew that this was needless to say, as she had been ordered to stay anyway, but she wanted to assure the soldiers as well. "If Clair stays, then I will stay as well," said the spy, rising from her chair.

"We cannot leave our job undone! Lady Clair, I'm staying with you!" a soldier said spiritedly, rising from his chair as well.

"Yes, there is no pride gained from coming home after leaving our duty behind. Lady Clair, I shall stay and fulfill my duty to the end," a runologist spoke, rising from her chair with utter confidence.

"Lady Clair, Lady Nel, we're all staying with you!"

Yvikka watched in awe as the soldiers before her, once unenthused, regained their composure and confidence, fueled only by Clair's tender words.

_I have known of Lady Clair's leadership ability. But still, witnessing it, especially in this situation is…_

She was stuck, finding that there was no word could describe her present feelings.

…_indescribable…_

So awestruck was the Chain Legion commander, she was surprised upon finding that every pair of eyes in the room was fixed at her, as she was the only one who hadn't said a thing. With a knowing smile, she then rose from her chair.

"The Chain Legion will provide their full cooperation under Lady Clair's command. Also, I am glad to say that our force here is only an advance unit. Another company shall arrive with fresh supplies within two to three days time."

Clair's eyes lit up with relief and joy at the sight of the cheering soldiers before her. As if words were not enough, she bowed down gracefully, thanking her fellow soldiers and commanders in the room.

"Thank you, everyone..."

_Truly, Lady Clair and Lady Nel are the strengths of those who serve them_, was the impression left in the dark haired commander's heart and mind.

…_And mine as well._

Without her even realizing it, her right hand moved to her chest of its own accord, silently saluting the two commanders.

---

The meeting was over. The squad leaders had left the conference room, leaving the three Legion commanders inside, conversing with each other.

"You really surprised me, Clair. To think that a commander like yourself would plead with her soldiers," the redhead remarked, a touch of disapproval in her tone.

Clair smiled in response to the remark, and at the one who had made it. "Sometimes a request is more powerful than an order. There are times when we should plead, and times when we should give orders. Nel, you probably should learn how to plead and see the results for yourself."

The two women smiled knowingly, for they knew it was a cliché. Nel was good enough at pleading… with Clair, anyway.

Nel then turned to the dark haired; her green eyes meeting dark ones. "By the way, Yvikka, right? Clair said that she knows you, and it seems that you know her as well. I was just wondering when the two of you met, since I never knew you to be Clair's acquaintance," she asked, as always, right to the heart of the matter. Nel had been an old friend of Clair's. Most of Clair's friends and acquaintances she knew, but Yvikka was not among the ones she could recall.

Besides, Nel had a bit of trouble seeing her friend with anyone else, especially someone she didn't know well.

"I was once Lady Clair's aide," Yvikka answered, "Only for several months, though, as I was then reassigned to the Chain Legion to be the commander there." She saw nothing strange in Nel's interrogative tone, as she knew that the two women were very close friends.

"Indeed, she was my first aide in my early days of commanding the Legion," Clair backed up Yvikka's answer with her own, giving the redhead a gentle smile, "So bright and stubbornly loyal a soldier she was that I had to order her to comply with the reassignment request."

"You had to order her? To be a commander?"

"Yes."

The three women chuckled at the silver haired commander's answer, seeing the contrast of situation in context.

"Now that you're a commander yourself, is the woman who came with you earlier really your aide?" Clair asked her fellow commander curiously, "She looks too young to be one."

"No, she is not," was the answer, "She is one of my squad captains. Barely passed twenty, but she has shown some promise, so I take her with me. Nevertheless, she'll be my 'aide' here; besides, my 'real' aide has a lot to do in Peterny already."

"I see. Well then, Yvikka, you must be tired from the journey. Please have yourself and your men some rest. My aide shall guide you and your men to their quarters—and that is an order."

The Chain Legion commander smiled sourly, but wasn't displeased since she knew that Clair's order was actually an 'order'.

"Ma'am." She saluted, then left the conference room after Clair's aide.

The silver haired gazed at the door until she heard the front door of the manor creak open, and then closed again. She then turned to face her redheaded friend.

"What do you think of her?"

Nel nodded slightly in an approval, eyes still fixed on the door, "She's a fine commander, judging from her composure," she then turned to face the brown eyes fixed at her, "Do you always have to order her like that?"

Clair smiled. "I told you Nel, she's stubborn. If I don't give her an order to get some rest, she'll go around and find a chance to work herself to death, just like you."

Ignoring the dark look she got from the redhead, Clair went on, enjoying the chance to tease her friend.

"In fact, I'm surprised that you and Yvikka are so very much alike. Both of you are very stubborn, but fine commanders."

Brown orbs locked on green, her voice lowered in a tender tone, her hands resting on her friend's shoulders.

"Nel, you're still the best Legion commander I've ever known and work with, but you are also the most stubborn and reckless person I've ever known."

Nel, surprised at the sudden change of mood, stammered, "Clair, I promised to be more careful, remember?"

"I do remember, and I am glad to find you still remember that as well."

---

The next few days were pretty much uneventful. The three legions worked hard to rebuild Arias. Days were filled with the sounds of the hammering of nails, wood being cut by saws, lum hooves, and the varied noises of other animals. Clair had worked herself hard directing the rebuilding, while Yvikka handled the field patrol duty and supplies administration, but Nel had been away for some time, visiting various places to gather intelligence on the threat of the growing anti-alliance groups.

Without Nel by her side, Clair couldn't sleep well. In fact, she hadn't slept at all in the past two days. One night, frustrated and tired of being alone in her room, she decided to take a walk around the town. She strolled around, glowstone in hand, greeting her soldiers on guard as she came on to them.

A familiar voice broke the silence of night, calling the commander's name.

"Lady Clair."

Clair turned, her brown eyes spotting a figure of a soldier. The glowstone lit the soldier's face, revealing jet black eyes.

"Yvikka? What are you doing at this hour?"

"I could ask the same of you, Lady Clair. You should be resting."

Yvikka strode closer, lifting her own glowstone so she could see the other woman's face, only to be taken aback by the shadows under the beautiful eyes.

"By Apris…Lady Clair, it seems that you haven't slept for days. What would become of those here if you fall ill?"

"I…"

The dark haired commander sighed, apparently knowing the root of whatever demon in her superior's mind which made her stay awake for days.

_You haven't changed at all, Lady Clair…still worrying about others more than yourself._

_You're always worried sick for all of us, but can't you see how many others are worried about you!_

_If Lady Nel saw you like this, she might think of tying you to your bed next time before she ever leaves again…_

Yvikka laughed silently at the thought for she knew without a doubt that it would never happen.

_Some close friends they are…_

_Lady Nel…and Lady Clair…_

She sighed deeply upon the understanding of the two friends, and managed, "Come, Lady Clair, I'll take you to your room."

With a sigh, Clair complied. Silence came along with them as they walked back to the manor. Sometimes, Yvikka would steal a glance over her beautiful superior. She had known about her superior's habit of worrying from the days they worked together. This one trait was one she didn't like very much, and she had long been longing for a chance to speak it out.

"Lady Clair…"

"Yes?"

Yvikka turned her head, her dark eyes meeting brown, "You and Lady Nel are the heart and strength of everyone here. Both of you…are the ones whom I…—we soldiers believe can take us through anything and keep us alive. So…"

She was hesitant. She was unsure whether the silver haired commander would actually listen to what she was going to say, but she decided to ignore that possibility, and went on.

"…don't worry too much about all of us, and…please, take care of yourself, because if you don't…you'll make the rest of us worried about you."

Several long moments of silence came and went before Clair's voice finally came, "Yvikka?"

"Yes, Lady Clair?"

"Are you worried about me?"

"I am."

"Then get some rest."

While her dark eyes were downcast, Yvikka had thought that Clair was terribly irritated. She turned again to face her superior in order to apologize, but was met by Clair's teasing grin, lit up by the glowstone she held close to their faces.

"Look at yourself in a mirror, Yvikka. If you don't want me to worry about you, then you should take some rest. The shadows under your eyes are no lighter than mine."

Bursts of laughter forced their way from both women's lips. It was a laughter that could warm anyone in Arias, for half of it was Clair's.


	3. The Day When It All Began

Disclaimers # 1: Star Ocean names, characters, and all of its related articles are the rightful properties of Square-Enix. They are not mine, and I make no profit off from writing this.

Disclaimers # 2: This is a fanfiction based on another fanfiction titled Two Soldiers: Fire and Ice authored by Artemis' Bow. Some of the plots are mine, yes, but some are Artemis'. Her excellent piece of work, support, and approval contribute greatly to this fic.

Author's Note: This chapter took longer to get uploaded, because many things came and went when I wrote this. Lack of reviews also contributes to the lame update, so please, readers, help me. I need your reviews and suggestions.

Okay, as I said in disclaimers # 2, some of the plots here are mine, and some of the plots are Artemis'. So, don't be surprised if this chapter has (lots of) things taken from Two Soldiers. If you are new to this and haven't read Two Soldiers yet, I suggest you to read it to get a better grasp to this story, since this story takes place within the bound of its plot. If you like this story, then part of the credit shall go to Artemis' Bow. Not only because she approves this—she has also helped me a lot in shaping the story, and even more.

Last but not least, please read, and enjoy. Happy reading

**The Third Soldier: Another Heart**

**Chapter 2: The Day When It All Began**

The morning felt like an augur to a day of delight to Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf, the Chain Legion commander tasked with strengthening the defense of Arias. Just the day before, Nel Zelpher had returned to the town, bringing with her a hunk of intelligence reports on various events of various places. The copies of the papers were neatly arranged on the dark haired commander's desk, piled into a mountain of paper that could discourage any ordinary soldier coming to see her just by the look of it. Yet, Yvikka was a commander, and she was more than accustomed to facing a mountain of reports. In fact, she was humming all the time while reading them. A small smile was playing gleefully on her face, which made everyone think that she wasn't reading reports at all.

But it wasn't the reports that made her happy.

Nel had returned, thus ending the tense days of Clair Lasbard.

Upon the redhead's return, Clair had seemed to be very pleased. She looked very relaxed, and had been smiling the whole day. Her eyes had been bright with unfathomable joy, very different from the eyes Yvikka had seen in that one night. The sight of Clair Lasbard standing erect and proud was enough to encourage and strengthen anyone who was on her side, but the sight of Clair so spirited like that…

…_would make even a mortally wounded soldier fight tooth and nail just to see her smile…_

Yvikka chuckled at the thought, knowing that she was exaggerating a bit, but she also knew herself well enough to know that it applied to her.

The same seemed to apply to the redheaded spy. The usually cold, stoic, and impenetrable Nel Zelpher became a bit warmer whenever Clair was around. It was a rare chance to see the spy smile, but on that day, Nel had seemed to have a small smile glued to her face. Also on that very day, Yvikka had caught a glimpse of Nel showing an 'uncharacteristically' tender face to Clair, which vanished in a split-second as the green orbs found the dark ones locked on them.

In all honesty, Yvikka couldn't help but join in the lively joy her fellow commanders had shared in that day. Just seeing the two commanders together had given her such amazing strength that she'd felt that she could take on the world.

And today, she hoped that it would still be just like the day before...

…Until a knock on the door of her room broke her out of contemplation of the day before.

"Yvikka, it's Clair. May I come in?"

The Chain Legion commander rose to her feet at the call of the soft voice. Instead of just answering, she walked to the door and opened it for the caller. Behind the door she saw Clair and Nel, seemingly prepared for a trip.

"Lady Clair, Lady Nel," smiling broadly, she greeted and saluted the two commanders, "What can I do for you?"

Clair returned the salute, and answered, "Nel and I have something to take care of on the road towards Kirlsa, and I'm here to notify you that you'll be in charge here during my absence."

Yvikka tilted her head in slight confusion, dark brow furrowing, "Sure, Lady Clair, but… what errands would take you there? The reports don't mention anything strange but colonies of fiends and a small brigade of robbers. Also, I have already scheduled a patrol in that area for this afternoon, so…"

Clair smiled at Yvikka's question, lifting up her voice to answer it, "No, Yvikka, it's not about that. It's something… else."

… _something… else…_

_Not a patrol; having both the Secret and Shield Legion commanders exterminate the fiends there is just too much._

_Not a recon, for what else needs to be investigated there? And Kirlsa already has Master Astor there._

Yvikka was speechless for a moment. Her face bore hints of bewilderment. She tried to figure out what that 'something else' could be, and failed to see any work-related reasons in there.

"Very well, then," Yvikka finally managed with a soft sigh. Nevertheless, the image of the two soldiers leaving made a slight feeling of dread roll into her chest. That feeling, more than any standard procedure or formality, or anything else, made the next question come up.

"When will you two return?"

The two friends looked at each other at Yvikka's question. It was obvious some speechless communication was passing between the intertwined brown and green depths. A brief moment of silence came and went before Nel's voice came.

"We won't be for long. We should have returned before dark."

"I see. Is there anything else I can help you with before you go? An escort or something?"

Clair, apparently aware of Yvikka's worried tone in her inquiries, stepped closer and rested one hand on Yvikka's shoulder, trying to reassure her fellow commander.

"No, Yvikka, and don't worry about it. We're pretty well prepared. Besides, it's only as far as Kirlsa," the silver haired commander assured, her voice gentle, "We'll be alright, and we shall return here shortly."

The dark haired commander gave up her worries with a smile. She paused before giving an answer, allowing herself the comfort of diving into the reassuring brown and green orbs belonging to the persons she cherished most in her present life.

"Yes… I'll see to that," she then brought up her right hand, saluting, "Please have a safe journey."

"Thank you, Yvikka," Clair returned the salute, then turned to her beloved friend, "Let us go, Nel."

As Yvikka watched the two commanders walking slowly away from her, she felt as if time had frozen. The dread came again, this time stronger. The feeling coursed through her whole body, lifting one hand and tearing one word out of her lips without her control or command.

"Wait!"

The exclamation caused the two friends to stop and look back, only to find the dark haired commander frozen.

Yvikka was stunned, unable to determine the reason why she'd voiced that one word in the first place. Her mind then decided on giving the two a short prayer. It was all she could do.

"May the divine guidance of Apris light your path…"

---

Sisera fri Aivanér, first captain of the Chain Legion, and Yvikka's aide in Arias, could not help but wonder.

She had served under Yvikka for almost three years, and it was quite often that they work closely.

Yet, only once or twice had she seen her commander be so…

… _restless…_

One of the most apparent, she recalled, had been the time when the news of the celestial ship coming and decimating the frontline reached the commander. That, she could understand, but today…

She knew that her superior was temporarily charged with Arias, and she'd expected herself to be very busy with the delegated tasks as well, but the reality was otherwise.

She was idle.

Aside from her regular duty of leading a patrol group and sorting reports intended directly for her commander, she had practically nothing else to do. Even in the most uneventful of days of service in Peterny or Arias, the dark haired commander usually had one or two tasks to delegate. However today, it seemed as if her superior was trying to work herself to death—literally, leaving the brunette captain with nothing to do but have time to wonder about it.

_What in the world is her concern right now?_

The captain could not hold her curiosity any longer as she saw her commander was preparing for another trip of the day. She made up her mind to ask what was going on directly.

"Commander Yvikka?"

"Yes, Sisera?" the commander responded rather absently. Her eyes were still fixed on the strap of her gauntlet that she was fixing.

"You're going… again?"

"… Yes."

Before her captain could ask any more, Yvikka, knowing full well what the next inquiry would be, went on, still not facing the person whom she was speaking to.

"It can't be helped, Sisera. This missive is required to be sent immediately to Kirlsa. Moreover, the order was that this should be delivered personally to Count Woltar; anyone else won't do."

Yvikka sighed; she knew that the missive was not at all urgent. She was tired, yes, but she was also… desperate.

Desperate because the trepidation she had gotten from seeing the two commanders leave refused to leave. She was desperate to find anything that she could work on rather than deal with her worries.

Yvikka then gave her brunette captain a fleeting look from the corner of her eye, "Don't worry, I'm not going alone. I'll go along with my patrol group; they're scheduled to be around there, anyway."

Sisera, very much annoyed by now, cut through almost instantly, "Commander Yrsenlaf! 'Immediately' does not mean today!"

The remark was very nearly a yell. Sisera was at her wit's end. Her commander's unusual restlessness, as well as her inattentive disposition had hit the last nerve of the young captain, threatening to break her frustration out of control.

"… You're not working, commander… rather, you're killing yourself," Sisera managed with a voice constrained by emotion. Inside, her heart was now the sight of a clash between respect and selfish concern for her commander, and she struggled to keep both of them in proper balance.

The dark haired finally turned to face her captain, only to find a pair of amber eyes that were visibly tense with fears and worries, similar to everything she had in her heart at the moment. She froze, speechless.

_She looks worried… about me?_

She was then reminded of one thing she had said herself, her own words to Clair.

_Apris… forgive me for being such a fool._

_I told Lady Clair to stop worrying too much and take better care of herself, for if she doesn't, she'll make others worried. That suits me as well…_

_I've made her worried, haven't I?_

Yvikka then strode closer to her concerned captain, resting both hands on her captain's shoulders, eyes downcast, "I'm sorry… Sisera," she inhaled deeply, and then reached for the letter she'd put into her tunic, taking it out, "You're right… I'm… I'll just end up exhausted this way… I'm so sorry… I just…"

Sisera sighed at her commander's slowly softening face. She could now see trouble so visible in the dark haired woman's face, but respect took over, and she decided to not ask about it for the moment.

"I'm sorry too, commander. I shouldn't yell at you like that."

"It's okay," the dark haired woman said gently, slowly bringing up her head to meet the still worried amber orbs, then sighed, "Nobody has ever had the nerve to yell at me like that since I became a commander."

Sisera smiled at the commander. "So, you'll take a rest then?" Sisera asked, hoping that Yvikka would respond positively to this one question.

Yvikka grinned in response, and answered, "Unfortunately, no, not yet."

Sisera's shoulders sank visibly at the answer, eloquently expressing her disappointment, "Why?"

"I still have my patrol to do," was the prompt reply, and then another came, "But you can come along with me if you wish. If you do, you can take the lead, and I'll be staying behind."

A broad smile found its way to the captain's face at the offer, "I'll do that. I need to make sure that you don't work yourself any harder than you need to out there, commander."

---

Meanwhile, the silver haired Clair Lasbard had just passed through the gates of Kirlsa, making her way back to Arias.

She was alone.

Her heart was in pieces.

Her spirit was all but gone.

Clair absently walked through Kirlsa hills, and then the Aire hills, guided only by mere instinct with no conscious thought involved.

Her mind, having shut itself down from her surroundings, swam in and out at the thought of her beloved. The time they first met, their childhood when they had played, laughed, and cried together, times when they had been training, times of fighting together, and then, the time when her worst fear had become a reality.

The sight of Nel lying there, practically bathing in her own blood in the Arena was all she could take for the day. Clair could still hear her friend's cry of pain in her mind, and all she could see was the image of those green orbs, slowly sinking and finally closing.

… _forever…_

… _ever…_

… _never again…_

A blow to her back broke the darkness on her mind, and then another, and another. Pain slowly registered itself into her mind as more blows landed on the frail runologist's body.

A solid hit managed itself to Clair's head, bringing her down. She was still conscious, and by that time, her mind became aware once again. Her body ached, her head spun. She looked around, finding that she was surrounded by Bogle fiends. As she tried to get up, one of the beasts stepped on her chest, pushing her back to the ground. With a growl, the beast lifted up its mace, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

Clair, despite the fact that she was actually able to fight, only stared. Her will to live had died along with her beloved.

_Nel…_

A tiny part of her mind still wanted a miracle, wanted to find that Nel would come to her rescue, but it vanished almost as soon as it came. The painful truth she had perceived from the pool of blood in the Arena, and now from the dried blood on her hands consumed it, leaving her with only one thought.

_I'll see you soon… my love._

Metal arc flashed. Blood flew.

The finishing strike had been delivered, and the beast over Clair fell to its back, lifeless. A solid figure clad in Aquarian soldier attire stood beside the fallen beast, holding a long sword soaked with the beast's blood. The rest of the fiends howled angrily, demanding revenge for their dead brethren. The beasts then moved to surround both Clair, who was still lying on the ground, and the soldier. The soldier, however, was not alone. Fellow soldiers rushed to give their aid, one of them calling out the soldier's name.

"Commander Yvikka!"

Yvikka lashed out with her sword, cutting one beast reckless enough to attack head on, and turned to her companions.

"Protect Lady Clair!"

With the command, the dark haired woman charged at a nearby fiend, her fellow soldiers followed rapidly behind her with drawn weapons. The battle was fought. Seven Aquarian soldiers went up against a horde of Bogle fiends nearly twice their number. The outnumbered Aquarians, though from different branches—some of them were 'Shields', and others were 'Chains'—shared the same emotion of protecting their dear commanders, especially the battered silver haired woman lying in the middle of the battle. They fought fiercely and bravely, cutting through every single beast standing in their way, and eventually, won. Almost as soon as the last of the beasts was down, Yvikka rushed to Clair's side, hoping that it wasn't too late.

"Lady Clair! Lady Clair!"

Pale brown eyes focused slowly on jet black ones. Her physical wounds were not at all grave, but the condition of her heart and her spirit was, which had nearly led her to her death. Her hope rose slightly as she saw the backlit figure above her.

"Nel…"

The one word struck the dark haired, as well as anyone who heard that.

"Lady Nel? Where's Lady Nel! What happe—"

The sentence was abruptly halted as Clair lifted one hand, cupped Yvikka's cheek, and muttered weakly.

"Nel… you're alive…"

Yvikka's eyes widened in surprise. Her jet-black orbs reflected a clear state of confusion at the gesture, the remark and the gaze from the brown depths directed at her.

_Lady Nel…? Me…? Does she think that I'm Lady Nel?_

Unbeknownst to the Chain Legion commander, her hair was partly covered with blood from the beasts she'd cut, creating an image of a red haired woman to the battered runologist. In her present state, her mind was filled with only the image of her red haired friend, which made even Yvikka look like Nel to Clair's desperate eyes.

All of a sudden, Clair grasped the dark haired commander's shoulder with such strength that Yvikka felt as if her fingers had torn through the tunic, and then the armor, right into the skin and bone. Her voice was desperate for reassurance.

"Tell me, Nel… you're alive, right! I'm just dreaming, right!"

_This desperation…_

_Did she just say that Lady Nel… 'alive'? It can't mean…_

Yvikka bit her lips tight. Her chest was in agony as if cut by a sword. Pain coursed through her whole body and mind due to her realization. Her superior's desperation clearly suggested something truly had happened to the two friends, and she struggled with all of her might to hold back the building tears and to restrain the cry rising from her throat.

_By Apris…Gods, tell me it's not true. It can't be true. It just… can't possibly happen…_

… _It can't mean that the… that other possibility… had just happened, right?_

… _Right…?_

…

… _Answer me!_

There was neither answer nor reassurance in response to her prayer, and Yvikka gritted her teeth, closing her eyes tightly, unwilling to see her esteemed superior in such a state. A faint trickle of tears came down her cheek. Her heart cried.

_No… no… no…_

_NO!_

The soldiers surrounding them, able to see and hear clearly whatever their silver haired commander was saying, were shocked. Some sighed deeply. Some unwittingly dropped their weapons. Some cried silently. And some burst into tears rather openly. A Shield Legion runologist accompanying them fell to her knees, her face holding a great deal of disbelief, and put into words the one thing that was on everyone's mind at the moment.

"Lady Nel… can't be… dead?"

Silence came after it was said, for nobody dared to either agree or disagree. The sight before them had spoken of everything but something good.

A cracked voice tore open the silence. A voice that had once been pleasant to hear now bore an agony that was unbearable to its audience.

"Why don't you answer me, Nel! Answer me, please… tell me that you're alive and well."

Yvikka winced at the question, wishing that she didn't have to say the truth, but she did have to. Jet black eyes slowly opened. Their determination pierced the pale brown ones.

"… I'm not Nel, Lady Clair… I'm Yvikka…" the dark haired managed, her voice just as cracked as Clair's.

Clair's once hopeful expression vanished in an instant, replaced by a doubtful one, and then sad.

"You're… not…?"

"Look at my eyes, Lady Clair. I'm Yvikka… not Nel…"

Pale brown eyes searched the face in front of them, hoping to find the ever-fascinating, welcoming green orbs of her friend, but they weren't there.

"You're not Nel…"

_Nel is dead…_

Once again, the painful reality crashed into Clair's mind. Abruptly, she shook herself from Yvikka's arms, her heart and mind crying for comfort of Nel's presence, Nel's arms. Her eyes then fixed on the direction of Arias. She remembered Arias, the mansion, and the room where they'd slept together the night before.

_Nel might be there…_

She was going to go to her room in Arias, not by her mind, but more by instinct. Ignoring her wounds, she got to her feet and started running.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Not even the ring of soldiers which guarded her all the way to Arias.

Not even the gate guards.

Not even the calling from her subordinates.

Not a thing.

All she wanted was comfort.

All she wanted was Nel.

---

The conference room was silent. Aside from faint but painful sobs from some of the disheartened captains, nobody had the will to say a word. The two unoccupied chairs in the room were painful to see, because everyone in the room knew whom those chairs belonged to.

Upon her return from the last patrol, Yvikka had ordered Sisera, Tynave, and Farleen to take a steed and go to Astor Wolchrift, a Secret Legion operative in Kirlsa, in order to find out the last whereabouts of Nel and Clair before Clair returned alone to Kirlsa. Reports had it that the two commanders had been seen in the vicinity of Kirlsa training facility. The party then searched all the way to the top floor of the facility, and found nothing but pools of dried blood in the Arena. One of which bore strong resemblance to Nel Zelpher's runological signature. These findings, though clearly disheartening, had been brought into the meeting.

"What can a pool of blood say?"

All pairs of eyes then fixed on to the Chain Legion commander. Yvikka, knowing that she'd gotten their attention, went on.

"We can't quickly surmise that Lady Nel is dead. She's probably just wounded. Whether the assailants have got her or not, we do not know. For the time being, it is best to assume that she's missing."

"If that is the case… we should conduct a search and rescue operation right away, but… I doubt that we have enough manpower to do that," a Shield Legion captain lifted his voice, trying to sound normal, but failing.

"I will leave for Aquios tomorrow. Aside from informing Her Majesty about our situation, I will also request reinforcements and supplies," Yvikka answered firmly.

Though she had been able to hide behind her commander's mask, she was almost at her limit. Her already sunken heart sank even deeper as she saw how discouraged the soldiers were. She wanted to encourage them, but she didn't know what to say, for they were not her own soldiers but Clair's.

_If only Lady Clair were here…_

_She knows what to say, because they are her soldiers._

Yvikka staggered upon realizing how true it was…

_They are Lady Clair's soldiers…_

The dark haired then brought herself up to her feet. She had to encourage them, because she knew well enough what would become of the soldiers if she didn't.

"A few days ago, right in this room… we made a promise to Lady Clair that we were going to fulfill our duty to the end. For me… though the situation has changed into one of the most unfavorable possible… my order—my promise to her still remains."

Yvikka paused. She inhaled a long deep breath in an effort to hold back the stinging pain in her heart, and swallowed the lump in her throat that was threatening to break her voice.

Her mask still held, but wouldn't for much longer.

"…As a commander, on Lady Clair's behalf, I will ensure that Arias and its citizens are safe and well. I have promised her that, and… I'll see to it to the end. I won't be able to do it alone, however… I need your strength… so I implore you… please do not be fainthearted, and let us continue what we've done together so far… to the end. If you can't do it for me, then do it for Lady Clair's sake."

Her voice had almost cracked rather openly by the end of her speech. She dared not bring her head up, as she was afraid that the Shield Legion soldiers would react negatively to her request. More than that, the building tears in her eyes were becoming more apparent by the second. She couldn't keep the act up any longer.

The Shield Legion soldier who sat closest to Yvikka solemnly rose from his chair. He then took the hand of the desperate, pleading commander.

"For Lady Clair… and Lady Nel."

A female captain who sat farther away paced closer to the dark haired commander, then took her hand as well.

"For Lady Clair and Lady Nel… I'm with you, commander," she said firmly with not a sign of doubt.

"Lady Clair has begged us for this… we can't just break our word. I'm with you, commander."

One by one, the soldiers in the conference room moved closer to Yvikka, encircling her. Their hands joined at the center of the circle. Every single one of them.

"Thank you…"

A trickle of tears fell. Her mask started to crumble, but not completely. Slowly, Yvikka raised her head, and then looked around, finding that every pair of eyes was once again filled with determination to keep on going, and went on.

"Everything I've heard of you all was not wrong… all of you… are truly, Lady Clair's soldiers…"

The dark haired commander then gave them some orders about things to be told to the other soldiers, and things to be kept secret. The conclusions of the meeting were that Nel Zelpher was assumed missing, Clair Lasbard was judged incapable of leading the Legions for the time being, and Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf was to take over her charge of Arias and the Legions stationed there until the true commander, Clair Lasbard, recovers.

---

The meeting had been concluded, and all the captains had returned to their squads.

The commander, however, stayed in the conference room, all by herself.

Her mask had slipped away and all of her emotions were laid bare. She needed some time alone, and she realized that the conference room was not the best place for it, but she was too proud to accept the idea of just running to her room and crying like the little girl she had once been.

Just to hear that Nel and Clair are wounded in battle was like a stab to her heart.

But today, one was assumed missing with only a faint hope of return, and one was shattered all the way to her spirit with no certainty of healing.

It was very much like hearing that they were both dead.

She cried there silently, alone in the conference room, praying that she could just go back to the days before…

… Or at the least, go back to the morning of the day.

She had been happy at that morning.

Happy and blissful with the knowing presence of the two women.


	4. The Soldiers

Disclaimers # 1: Star Ocean names, characters, and all of its related articles are the rightful properties of Square-Enix. They are (still) not mine, and I'm still dreaming about owning them someday ;

Disclaimers # 2: This is a fanfiction based on another fanfiction titled Two Soldiers: Fire and Ice authored by Artemis' Bow. Some of the plots are mine and some are Artemis', therefore, you might want to read her fic as well to get a better grasp of my story (I highly recommend it). Her excellent piece of work, support, and approval contribute greatly to this fic. If you like this fic, then part of the credit shall goes to her.

Author's Note **(Please Read)**: I'm back, finally. This is the longest and toughest chapter for me so far. Once again, readers, please review. I'm not going to stop asking because I want your comments about my story so far. Don't wait until I make a (fatal) mistake, and then you come to my review page with flamethrowers blazing. That kind of comments would do little. Please tell me what you expect me to do, and what you expect me to not do in regard of the story. Thank you for your attention.

For the time being, please read and enjoy. Happy reading

**The Third Soldier: Another Heart**

**Chapter 3: The Soldiers**

The sun rose, and with it, a new day.

Yvikka had just finished the early morning briefing of her own soldiers. In any normal situation, briefing the soldiers before sunrise might not be considered 'normal', but the commander had to do it because she knew that another briefing with soldiers not her own would come up next. For her, it wasn't wise to brief them all at once without a proper acknowledgement.

After she finished preparing the briefing for the other Legions, she saw that she still had some time, and decided to visit her esteemed superior, Clair Lasbard, in her room.

The silver haired commander had been in her room since returning from Kirlsa the day before. She hadn't spoken, eaten or washed ever since. Clair's aide had brought her dinner to her room and attempted to persuade the commander to eat, but to no avail. A healer had also been assigned to attend her because she had been wounded on her way back as well. Yet, not a response came despite of the healer's constant company.

It was 'normal', for a person who had just lost her best friend, at least that was what many people thought.

And Yvikka hoped to see some improvement today, hoped to see that Clair would speak, or _do_ something at the least.

Just as the door to Clair's room came into sight, she saw it open, and the healer she'd assigned came out. The healer saw her, and then gestured the dark haired commander over.

"How is she?" Yvikka asked almost immediately as she reached the healer.

The doctor sighed at the question. Her face was riddled with exhaustion and uncertainty. It was apparent that she had been awake the whole night.

"She's fine…physically, at the least," the healer managed.

Yvikka's brows furrowed, her heart jerked at the answer, "What do you mean?"

"…I don't know how to say it, but it seems that Lady Clair… is more than just physically wounded or simply grieving. She suffered some very deep trauma, and is _very_ unlikely to come out of it in the near future."

The dark haired commander was stunned by the answer. Losing a best friend was an immeasurable pain to have to face, she knew, but she had once believed that Clair would not fall that deep because she had known this woman to be a solid rock that had anchored many souls, including hers, and kept them from drowning when at the brink of destruction.

Lady Clair is a strong woman, but… 

"May… I see her?" The dark haired asked rather halfheartedly. In fact, she was torn between wanting to see Clair and not wanting to, because she knew herself well enough to know the sight of the fallen silver haired woman would more than likely tear her composure apart.

"Surely you may," the doctor answered firmly while gesturing to the opened door she had come out of before.

With a visible lifting of her shoulders, the dark haired inhaled a long, deep breath, building up her defenses and bracing herself for anything she might see inside, and then stepped into Clair's room after the doctor. Once both of them were inside, the devoted healer then closed the door behind them, not wanting anyone to see what was inside, even by mistake. The room was clean and tidy, very well reflecting the personality of whoever stayed there. The bed, however, had a completely different story to tell.

Clair was there, flopped down on it without any of her usual grace. Her clothes were wrinkled. Her long, thick silver hair was untied, leaving it strewn across the bed. Though all of her wounds had been treated, she was still dirty, as she hadn't washed yet. Her clothes, hair, and skin still bore the dirt, mud, and blood from the day before. Her hands cradled a pillow closely to her face, as if it was her only comfort. It was indeed, her comfort.

So far, the scene was just what Yvikka had imagined a mournful person would look like, thus, her defenses still held. Nevertheless, it was painful for the dark haired commander to see Clair like that.

She hadn't seen everything, however, for the most unbearable was yet to come.

Carefully, the dark-haired commander paced closer, and then sat in the edge of the bed. A gasp was drawn from her lips as Yvikka got a look at her superior's face, and then at those eyes.

They were blank, empty and devoid of anything. Even grief was not there.

They were as empty as a dead woman's.

"By the grace of Apris…" Yvikka exclaimed softly. Her voice trembled. The sight was like a battering ram, smashing the defenses she'd built around her heart.

The form before her had once been many things good for her, but now…

Clair's spirit was gone, along with her grace, smile, warmth, strength… everything that had caused Clair to be Clair.

This was not Clair.

This was just a body without the spirit named 'Clair'. The worst fact to bear was that it still breathed, signifying life that was…

_Lifeless…_

… _Living dead…_

_Only once had I seen Lady Clair to be in a similar condition, but that was not… that was not even near to this… to lose all of her spirit at once…_

The dark haired commander closed her eyes. Her mind wandered to the time when the convoy of wagons carrying casualties from the frontline had reached Peterny, the town under her administration.

**(Flashback)**

"Healers! Healers! Someone get a healer or doctor here! This one's dying!"

Yvikka yelled so loudly that she felt her throat would also need a healer. Before her were another healer, and a young Shield Legion soldier, half of his body covered in severe burns. His body was shaking violently, as if struggling to keep the dear life from escaping his battered form. A doctor then hurriedly climbed up into the wagon where Yvikka and the wounded were, but before he could even form the healing spell, the soldier's body had stopped shaking. He was gone.

_Damn…_

Cursing slightly at herself, Yvikka came down from the wagon. She was not as skilled in healing runology as dedicated doctors or healers, but considering the situation, she imagined that every bit of help would be needed.

Peterny had never been this chaotic before.

Waves of wagons heavily laden with the wounded from the frontline came to the town. Healers and doctors surrounded them as they came to a stop. Peterny citizens, already panicked by the news of the coming of the celestial ship, flooded the streets. Some of them tried to flee further to Aquios, some of them are desperate enough to try to break through the gates leading to either Sanmite or even Greeton, yet some of them are also frantic enough to try to go to the battlefield to see—or even worship the celestial ship. Chain Legion soldiers rushed through the chaos, trying to keep the sea of humanity in order.

Upon the convoy's arrival, Yvikka had tried desperately to find the person leading the medical evacuation, as she needed to clarify some things, but she couldn't. From the drivers, she found out that they actually attempted a straight shot to Aquios, however, having made their lums gallop all the way, most of their lums ended up exhausted, and some even collapsed upon reaching Peterny. The exhaustion forced the group to stop there in order to give the lums some rest. The Chain Legion commander, seeing the need for speed there, decided to have all the lums replaced with fresh ones from the Chain Legion's barn. While the lums were replaced, the exhausted runologists who'd worked themselves from Arias were urged to take a break and let Peterny runologists do the work while they were here.

Actually, with all the casualties accompanying the convoy, there was no need for any explanation or clarification. The best of the healers and doctors were in Aquios, and there was no questioning that the convoy would head there, for the sake of the wounded they're carrying.

But still, she had this 'thing' to clarify…

_Lady Clair or Lady Nel should be leading them…_

_That is, if they were not among the wounded… or…_

Yvikka dared not continue her train of thought. She shook her head violently, trying to not let the next passing thought claim her mind.

_No… not a chance. They are the finest, strongest warriors in Aquaria. They should be fine._

However reassured she was, panic almost claimed her upon finding that the two women were not among those who could stand. She gave up hope on finding them _outside_ the wagons, and started to look for them _inside_ the wagons. Her heart raced as she checked inside wagon after wagon, because she knew that anyone inside them were either doctors or healers, and the wounded, and she didn't want to see either Clair or Nel in the latter case.

Her spirits rose slightly as she saw a glimpse of a silver haired woman inside the last wagon. As she got closer, she was certain that the silver haired was indeed Clair.

"Lady Clair!" the dark haired commander called as she paced closer to the wagon.

There was no response. The silver haired runologist didn't seem to hear or even realize she was being called. Her attention was apparently directed at something in front of her, to the exclusion of everything else.

Clair's silence frightened her. Hurriedly, she climbed up the wagon where Clair was, only to be shaken by the sight inside it.

Leaning in one corner of the carriage was a female doctor, so badly done in that her shoulders shook with every gasp. On one side were two badly wounded soldiers, and on the other was Cliff Fittr, with Fayt Leingod lying in front of him.

And then there was Nel Zelpher lying in front of Clair, badly mauled and looking barely alive.

The silver haired commander, though less visibly battered than the redhead, didn't look any better. Her face held a pain so great that it made her look almost lifeless.

_Gods…_

The sight struck her speechless. Her heart bled.

Apparently, she'd gotten only half of what she'd wanted.

The two people she'd looked for were there.

Half alive, half dead.

**(End of flashback)**

Yvikka felt tears stinging her eyes, but she held them back with an effort. The sight before her was truly unbearable. But the possibility that accompanied it was no less agonizing.

_What could this mean…?_

_Lady Clair was so lost due to the fact that Lady Nel was badly wounded, but now…_

… _What could THIS mean?_

"Lady Yvikka! Lady Yvikka!"

The healer's call snapped the dark haired woman back to reality with a jolt. Her mind and eyes came into focus in a flash, revealing the figure of the doctor in front of her. She felt the woman's hands on her shoulders, and saw her eyes heavily laden with concern.

"Lady Yvikka, are you all right?"

"Yes… I'm fine…"

The woman then sighed in relief, "Oh, thank the Gods… I was afraid. I had been calling you for some time, but you didn't respond, and… and your eyes, your expression…" She halted, trying to find the appropriate word, and went on.

"… they were so lost, almost like Lady Clair's."

"Were they?" The commander gave a sad smile at the remark. Her eyes turned to her dear superior lying lifelessly on the bed, and then to the doctor again, "So, Miss Aline, what is her condition actually? I mean… is there something you can do or anything you need to help her?"

The woman's balance wavered. Her shoulders slumped as if there was a heavy burden on them. There was a slight pause before the answer came.

"… I am sorry… this… is something I have little to no experience with. Physical wounds, no matter how grave they are, I can heal, but this…" The doctor, Aline, bowed her head, a glimpse of guilt and sadness clear in her eyes. Her voice came again, this time in a raspy, torn whisper, "This is more… far more than just a simple 'physical' wound… it's like… like her spirit has been shattered… destroyed… k-killed…"

The female doctor's body trembled, tears slowly forming in her clear eyes. Yvikka quickly brought herself up and held the nearly hysterical doctor in a strong embrace. The woman cried out almost immediately. Aline was a member of Clair's runological corps, and the dark-eyed commander knew that it was hard for her to see her commander in such a state, especially for the whole night.

"… I wish I could… but I couldn't… I can't do anything… nothing… for her…" the healer managed, her voice choked out between sobs. Her arms wrapped around the commander's solid figure in an almost desperate embrace. Her tears came down in streams, wetting the tunic her head rested on.

"It's okay…" Yvikka could feel her voice trembling as well. She didn't know this woman well, for she was not in her unit. Though they had known each other for several days, they had talked to each other only once, and that was today. Still, she refused to leave the doctor without something to hold on to. After all, she was now the doctor's commander, and it was her duty to see to the well being of the people under her command.

"It's alright… you've done your best, and that is something that every commander would be proud to see in her soldiers," the dark haired whispered.

"No! It's not alright!" Aline spoke again, her voice was a restrained yell, "I… I can't… just… s-sit there… and…"

The dark haired woman tightened her embrace. Inside her heart was a very similar feeling to what the woman in front of her was struggling with—the feeling and knowledge of being unable to do anything for someone dear who was in need. The feeling was anguishing, and it was even more so because the silver haired commander was without doubt _very_ dear to her soldiers.

"Lady Clair…" The commander whispered again after a moment of silence, "Lady Clair… never ask us to do things beyond our limits…"

The words calmed the stressed woman somehow. Her once tense body went slightly looser little by little, and her crying eased into faint sobs. After some time, the doctor was able to bring her head up once again. While their arms still joined, her eyes looked into her 'new' commander's eyes.

"I know…" She managed, her voice still raw, "… Lady Clair once said that to us."

The commander smiled. She remembered that as well because she had once been Clair's soldier. She let the doctor hold on to her for a while longer, and pulled away only when the other woman was feeling ready to do so. As they parted, their gazes were once again directed at the limp form on the bed in front of them. Their minds were working to find a way to help their commander. A moment of silence reigned in the room before Yvikka's voice finally broke it.

"We should bring her to Aquios."

"I agree. The doctors there might know more about this than we do," the devoted healer commented.

"I had planned to go to Aquios anyway, because Her Majesty needs to be informed of this. We will depart as soon as I can finish the briefing," the dark haired woman went on. She turned her gaze to the healer beside her.

"And, Miss Aline, you will be coming as well. I'll need you to explain Lady Clair's current condition. Until that time, have another doctor attend Lady Clair, and lastly… take some rest. You need it."

"Yes, ma'am," Aline answered with a salute.

Just as the commander turned, and was about to leave, the woman spoke again from behind her.

"Thank you, commander. I'm glad… that we still have someone like you here. I believe that we'll be alright under your command."

Yvikka looked back at the other woman in surprise, seeing the total sincerity and genuine trust in the pair of eyes that was directed at her. It was an expression of faith. While no one from the Shield Legion objected to her taking over the command, no one had expressed their trust with such genuineness, either. It warmed her, and for the first time, she felt encouragement she'd been longing for since yesterday.

"You're welcome, and… thank you to you too."

---

The briefing was actually nothing more than a review of the scheduled activities, as well as updates on the situation. However, just as the meeting was about to be concluded, Sisera, along with Clair's aide, rushed in. With them were an urgent message from Astor Wolfricht, and a formal missive from King Airyglyph for Queen Aquaria. The dark haired commander took Astor's message, for it was directed to the commanding officer in Arias. It was not good news.

"We have an update on the situation," the commander started, "According to this information we have from our operatives in Airyglyph, the situation there has become unfavorable for the moment. There are signs that the Glyphian anti-alliance factions have managed to mobilize an army consisting of the deserting Glyphian soldiers, as well as some paramilitary parties. It is highly likely that they are poised to strike Arias in order to incite another war."

"Damn warmongers!" a random captain cut in, "Don't they have enough already?"

"They just let it happen under their noses! Those Glyphians have no intention of keeping this 'alliance' after all!"

Other remarks of similar tone followed suit. Before more of them got going, Yvikka cut through immediately, trying to regain control over the situation.

"Everyone, silence!"

Her voice caused all the pairs of eyes in the room to be directed at her. After the captains were calm enough, the commander continued, a touch of displeasure in her voice.

"Her Majesty has expected something like this to happen, and that is why I and the Chain Legion were sent here in the first place. I thought I made it clear the day I came here. The difference is, at _that day_, it _was_ just a possibility, but _now_, the threat _is_ clear, and you still _whine_ about it?"

Everyone went silent. It was true. On the day the Chain Legion commander had arrived, she had made clear the cause of her coming.

"… Airyglyph is relatively unstable at the moment because its war-lusting officials are stirring their people's sentiments against us. Should Arias fall now… those insolent warmongers will gain the upper hand to propose another full-scale aggression, and Her Majesty will have no other option but to retaliate. Therefore, Arias should not fall. We can't let it fall."

"We know…" A Shield Legion runologist spoke, his voice low, "… We know that, but… why just at a time like this? Lady Nel's gone, and Lady Clair…"

"That is true…" A Secret Legion operative voiced her agreement with the previous soldier, "Our soldiers have lost much of their morale ever since they saw Lady Clair like that… and the fact that Lady Nel didn't return…"

Yvikka closed her eyes in a pained understanding upon hearing the statements. The heart of the problem was just what she'd expected. Raising morale was never an easy job. In the previous briefing, she could see that even her own soldiers were very much disheartened by the same facts, but they still had faith in her, and that was all she needed to encourage them. However, now she was dealing with soldiers not her own, soldiers who might not yet have faith in her. They needed something to hold on to.

"Our promise…"

All pairs of eyes in the room shifted, looking to where the soft voice came from, a small figure in the corner of the room—Clair's aide.

"How many times must we be reminded of it? How long will you all be depending on Lady Clair like helpless babies to their mother?"

The aide then brought her face up, showing the building tears in her eyes. Anger and disappointment were apparent in them.

"Lady Clair is tired! Tired because of you all! Don't you understand? She never takes the chance to return to Aquios because _she doesn't know what will become of you all if she leaves_! She had the chance, but she didn't take it. Lady Yvikka!"

The dark haired commander jerked at the mention of her name. Her eyes widened with confusion.

"W-what?"

"Tell them! Tell them the entirety of your orders! Let them know what thing Lady Clair missed for their sake!"

The commander hesitated. It was something that she hadn't told them on the day of her arrival because Clair had opposed that. Clair had also told her to keep it a secret from her soldiers. By the time they had been discussing it, the aide had been with them as well, so she knew.

"I… my orders…"

Clair's aide, however, very much emotional by now, cut through.

"Lady Yvikka's true orders were not only _to strengthen_ Arias, but also _to take over Lady Clair's charge of Arias_! Had Lady Clair accepted it, she would have been home, and things might be different for her, but no! She didn't take it because _you_ were not included in it! She doesn't want to leave you all here because she isn't sure if you'll be alright!"

Gasps filled the room as the truth was told. The captains were struck by disbelief.

"Is… is that true, Lady Yvikka?" The captain sat closest to the commander asked, barely recovered from shock.

"… That is true," was the answer, "I should have been in this position from the very day I arrived, but Lady Clair opposed that. She refused to leave immediately… She insisted that she will only leave once she had ensured that you… her soldiers… are comfortable under my command, but…"

"Why…?" Another captain murmured with guilt-laden voice, "How could she be so… stupid…?"

"What is the difference now?" The angry aide snapped again. Her face was definitely tear-streaked by now, "Were she in her home right now, you might well want her back here when you hear _this_ news! By Apris! Why are you all so cruel? Lady Clair…" The woman paused in an effort to regain her composure, and continued, her voice low.

"… Lady Clair… has done everything in her might so that she can be with us… now that she can't… are we going to force her to stand here and watch us like this? No. Lady Clair never wants us to be like this. For Apris' sake, she's tired, and she needs some rest. Why can't we let her rest just this once?"

The Shield Legion captains were silent once more. Nobody dared talk back in the face of that. The young woman's words might very well be true because Yvikka could see guilt and regret in everyone's eyes. Moreover, those words had come from someone whom everyone knew had spent more time with their dear commander than any of them.

The young aide swayed. After the outburst of anger came confusion. She looked around, trying to find something to hold on to, and then fell against Sisera, who happened to be the 'thing' closest to her.

"We… we always think that Lady Clair… and Lady Nel are infallible. No one… not a thing in this land could take them on, but we are wrong… We are at fault if we think that they are not like us…" A soldier broke the silence, voicing his thoughts.

"We have vowed to them that we are willing to give our lives to fulfill our duty… We are ready to die on their orders, but we are not ready to be left on our own…"

"Lady Nel and Lady Clair never want us to die on their orders… They want us to live," Farleen, who had been unusually silent in the meeting, finally spoke up. She then raised her head, casting her eyes to the whole room, "If they didn't want us to live… then why would Lady Nel risk her life rescuing us, right, Tynave?"

"That's right. We have to live, for Lady Clair and Lady Nel's sake," Tynave answered, her voice firm with determination.

A soldier raised his head. His gaze fixed on the dark haired commander with eyes that could only be described as pleading.

"Lady Yvikka…"

"Yes?"

"Please tell us… tell us what we should do. We can't stay like this… the threat is clear, and we have to do something…"

Yvikka was stunned. The question was spoken with a clear hint of desperation, something that she never wanted to face. More than that, all pairs of eyes were now directed at her once again, and each of them shared the same desperation, but behind it was faith—or rather, reliance. They were actually relying on her this time. The commander inhaled, taking in a long deep breath for the umpteenth time that morning, and then voiced her answer.

"Due to the change of the situation, we have to change our plans. All of you are to return to your squads immediately. Check your soldiers, gear, weapons… everything, and report it to Sisera. Prepare yourselves and your soldiers for war. Rebuilding efforts will now be concentrated on strengthening the town's defenses, primarily on the gate leading to the Aire Hills. Patrols will be doubled, and concentrated on seeking out signs of intrusion into our territory. Fiend exterminating is secondary. Any questions?"

None of them seemed to have questions, and the commander was ready to dismiss the meeting when she remembered one thing…

"… Before I dismiss you all, I will tell you about Lady Clair's current condition. This is not good news either, but you have the right to know, so that you can prepare the soldiers to hear this from you. Also, please understand that we have to maintain some secrecy about this… Should they ask… the soldiers only need to know that Lady Clair is ill, and Lady Nel is on another mission. The rest shall not go outside of this room. There's no telling what those warmongers will do if they find out. Now, please listen carefully…"

Though she only told them what the doctor had said to her, it was still a difficult thing to do because the telling of it could not be parted from the remembering of it—something that was an agony to even imagine, much less see. Upon finishing it, she finally dismissed the meeting, but not before speaking some words of reassurance, something that she'd always believed in.

"… I personally believe that Lady Nel and Lady Clair will be with us again some time, and we have to live to see it. I'm sure… that they will be proud of us all if we can manage somehow. For now, we have to concentrate on taking care of our soldiers and preparing them for what's to come," the commander then stood up once again, her hands and voice giving a prayer.

"May the grace of Apris be with us all. You are dismissed."

---

The conference room was silent again. The soldiers who had been there before had left, all of them but three; Yvikka, the commander, her aide Sisera, and Clair's aide, who was still clinging to Sisera.

Sisera looked very much confused. She was not used to having someone embracing her so tightly and crying on her shoulder. All she could do was returning the embrace, stroking and caressing the other aide's shoulders and back. Her amber eyes shifted their gaze from the woman on her shoulder to her commander, and then back to the sobbing woman again. When they parted, the young aide's eyes were wet and bloodshot. After thanking Sisera, she then turned to the dark haired commander and spoke with a low, barely audible voice restrained by emotion and guilt.

"I'm sorry, Lady Yvikka. I… I shouldn't have shouted at you… I shouldn't have told them ab—"

"It's alright," the commander cut the sentence short, her hand resting on the aide's shoulder, "It is not something to be sorry about. Instead, I want to thank you… for being able to… to do what you've just done."

"I just can't hold it back anymore. I can't just… stand by idly and watch them act like babies," the slim woman muttered, shaking her head rather violently. She then brought her eyes up to meet the jet black ones before her, "Moreover, Lady Yvikka… you… you have tried to be strong, for us. Honestly, I was not sure that you would be able to stand and face us the way you did just now after… after I saw you in this room after yesterday's last briefing. You were so broken, but now, you stand strong, trying to keep them together, and I want to help you do it."

A faint, sad smile worked its way to Yvikka's lips. To be seen crying like she had done the day before by those under her command was something she never wanted to happen. But this time, she was thankful that it worked for a good cause.

"I… I want to check on Lady Clair. If I may be excused…" The concerned aide spoke again.

"Surely you may, and I'll come along if you don't mind. I had planned to see her again, actually."

"No, I don't mind at all, Lady Yvikka."

"Very well, then. Let us go. Sisera, you too."

While the three of them made their way to Clair's room, Sisera saw that her dark haired commander was actually lost in thought. Problems were obvious behind the dark eyes. Seeing her commander troubled, even if it was only slightly, was bothersome to her, and she always wanted to be of help.

"Commander, is there something bothering you?"

The commander glanced over at her brunette soldier for a while, then looked down at the stone floor. She realized that the answer to the problem she was thinking about was in the person who was asking her what was wrong, but she wasn't sure herself whether to voice them or not. She sighed, and then looked again at the amber eyes, and asked the question she hoped would bring her much needed answers.

"Say, Sisera… were I gone at a time like this, what would you do?"

"I would take over your command and carry out the rest of your tasks until your return," was the firm answer.

The dark haired woman smiled at the answer. Her aide had partly misunderstood the question. "That is one way to do things if I were away, but what if I were dead or missing?" She restated the question, making it perfectly clear what was meant by it.

Sisera's feet came to a sudden stop. Her eyes widened in both realization and uncertainty. The clear question struck her like an arrow. Not unlike the Shield and Secret Legion, the Chain Legion also depended on their dark haired commander very much.

_What am I going to do ever that happens? What will become of the Chain Legion if that happens?_

"There's no need to answer that now, Sisera," the commander's gentle voice broke her chain of thought, "In the line of duty, everything and anything could happen, and I believe you know the cost it could easily take. I just want you to be prepared."

Having somewhat recovered herself from the confusion, Sisera doubled her pace. Her commander might not demand an answer right now, but her heart did, and it made her uneasy. It was Sisera's turn to be lost.

They then came to the door of Clair's room. A young doctor opened it at Yvikka's knock. It turned out that Aline, the doctor who had been with Clair the day before was there as well, still looking every bit as exhausted as she'd been. Very much worried about the doctor's condition, Yvikka spoke up, a hint of disapproval in her tone.

"Miss Aline? Didn't I tell you to get some rest?"

"I am sorry, Lady Yvikka," the doctor apologized, and went on, "But I came across this young colleague of mine. She reads many journals and records about this kind of problem, and she seems to know something. I wanted to know about it too, so I stayed here to hear from her."

"You know?" Yvikka snapped while diverting her attention to the younger doctor in the room.

"Um… not exactly 'know', but I have an idea about it," the young doctor paused upon realizing that all four pairs of eyes in the room were directed to her, then continued, "It is highly likely that Lady Clair is in catatonic stupor, a state of catatonia."

"Cata… tonia?" Clair's aide muttered, looking confused.

"Yes. Catatonia. It is a mental state… resulted from either a physical disturbance like severe head trauma and contamination by certain chemicals, or a psychic or emotional disturbance such as deep depression, grief, and such."

"I've never heard of it. Is it… lethal?"

"As I said, it is a mental state, and it won't kill on its own, but…" The doctor paused again, as she knew that the most unlikable part was about to come, "… As this is a rare case, there are not many subjects to observe. According to the journals I read, most of the observed subjects showed a total lack of responsiveness, which caused many of them to go to their deaths, primarily due to dehydration and malnutrition resulting from not eating or drinking enough. So… I'd say that it is indeed, lethal."

"I see…" Yvikka murmured, breaking the moment of silence resulting from the mention of the possibility of Clair's death, "Is there… any way we can help her?"

"There are some ways, including therapy utilizing a certain kind of runology and medication…" The doctor then glanced over at the silver haired woman on the bed, a sadly knowing look on her face, "… but one of the most effective… as believed by many, is the company of the people closest to her."

Her heart sank. The dark haired woman realized that the 'most effective method' they could have used was far away, way too far, if not completely out of reach. Her heart sank even deeper into the gaping hollow of grief as she recalled Clair's words the last time they spoke, words which hinted at the one thing that she had tried to deny ever since it came to her mind. Clair's desperate voice echoed again, strangling her throat, and maiming her heart more than any beating she'd ever taken. Her vision darkened at the remembrance.

"_Nel… you're alive…"_

"_Tell me, Nel… you're alive, right? I'm just dreaming, right?"_

_No, it's reality…_

"_Why don't you answer me, Nel?"_

"… _please… tell me that you're alive and well."_

_Please stop it…_

"… _tell me that you're alive and well."_

"… _alive and well."_

… _stop it…_

_STOP!_

"_Lady Yvikka!"_

"Aah!"

The last voice to come to her mind jerked the dark haired commander back to reality. Her head spun, her heart beat twice, or maybe thrice as fast as its usual pace. Her lungs screamed for air, as if she hadn't breathed for a moment. Her one hand was clutching where her heart beat without her even realizing it.

"Lady Yvikka… Commander," The voice came again; it was Sisera's, a concerned look in her ambers, "Are you alright? You look like you're… in some great pain…"

"… I'm… fine…" Yvikka answered, trying to sound normal, but failing. Sisera was about to ask again, but she waved it off for later, and turned to the doctor, "Would it be in her favor if we brought her to Aquios?"

"The doctors there may know better and are able to do much more than we do," came the answer, and then another, "But I wouldn't advise it. In many cases of mental problem, there are signs that a particular 'place' may influence the recovery process. Say, if she is to awaken in a place totally foreign from the place her mind last registered, it may confuse her and hinder her recovery. The best way is to have the doctors from Aquios come here and see her condition themselves, and let them judge."

The commander bowed her head, deep in thought. Her eyes closed. Arias, due to many factors, was probably the best place to attempt to heal the silver haired woman. When the war had broken out, Nel and her Secret Legion were the first soldiers to the front. The friends had been apart for some time, with Nel doing missions in Airyglyph, and Clair organizing troops in Aquios. Following the withdrawal of the Demon Hunter Legion due to the Glyphian attacks, the Shield Legion was then assigned to defend Arias, and that had been when they had met again during the war. The town was the place where the two friends, Nel and Clair, were together again, and there was no telling what kind of bond the war had forged between them in this place. The dark haired commander had wondered about that since Peterny, when Nel had been wounded and Clair had been beside her…

**(Flashback)**

After some searching among the wagons carrying the wounded from Arias, the Chain Legion commander finally found the people she'd been looking for. Their condition, however, was not in her favor. Nel was badly wounded, and Clair was in deep distress from seeing her friend in such a state.

Slowly, Clair tilted her head. Her brown eyes met the stunned jet-black. Though their owner's face seemed to be vacant of emotion, the brown orbs, however, were not completely devoid of passion. They spoke.

'Please help her…' was what those pale brown eyes told the other woman.

There was no need to tell the other commander again. Already, Yvikka shifted closer to Nel's battered body, and checked her condition, which she found was not good.

_Dear Apris… her wounds are grave, and she has no strength in reserve to hold on. My strength alone will not be sufficient to heal even half of this…_

The dark haired woman moved farther away from Nel and took a quick look around the outside of the wagon, hoping to find any able doctor, but was pained upon finding that there was none. She then turned back to the wounded spy, trying to figure out a way to help.

_I can't heal her much… but I can lend some of my strength to be her reserves. It's not much, but if nothing is done now, she may never make it to Aquios._

Her mind very much decided, Yvikka turned to the lost silver haired woman, looking her in the eyes.

"Lady Clair, I can't heal her right now, as I'm not a healer… but I can give her some of my strength to keep her alive. It won't do much than giving her body some reserves to hold her here."

Clair still didn't respond. She brushed the blood-matted red hair in front of her, eyes fixed on Nel's face, and then to the Chain Legion commander.

'Please do it,' again, it was only Clair's eyes that spoke.

With a nod, the dark haired commander bent over the red haired woman, gently planting one hand on Nel's forehead, and the other on the chest. Warm light emanating from her hands, a surge of power flowed through them, into the other's battered body. After some time, she stopped, her vision blurred and her body quivering with strong hints of fatigue. Apparently, she had given most of her strength to the other soldier.

It was not finished, however. From the previous check she'd made, she'd found out that Nel's tattered tunic was wet with blood gushing out from the open wounds. It seemed that the only treatment the Crimson Blade had had was a weak healing spell, and nothing else, so she decided to take care of it. Realizing that there were other people—especially, men, in the wagon, the dark haired woman glanced over to them, and warned them to not look in her direction.

Having warned the guys, she then carefully cleaved Nel's tunic open. The light armor under the tunic was just as broken as its wearer, making it easy to get Nel out of it without moving her now too-fragile figure too much. Finished with undressing Nel's torso, Yvikka took out a roll of bandage and several cloths from the medical kit she'd brought along with her. With great care, she wiped out the blood covering the redhead's tanned skin with the cloth, revealing the wounds all over her body. During her soldiering days, Yvikka had become accustomed to the sight of blood and wounds, even the most grievous ones. However, to see them riddling the body of a person she cherished as she did the Crimson Blade was a completely different story. Her heart throbbed, pain raced through her body as she pressed the medicinal cloths against Nel's wounds, as if the wounds were hers.

The treatment was slightly interrupted as a female doctor came. The dark haired commander nodded at the doctor, affirming that her help was needed. The other doctor, who had been in the wagon since Arias, was about to join them, but Yvikka waved her down again, saying that she should save her power for the journey to Aquios. As the newly arrived doctor attended the other wounded in the wagon, Yvikka continued with wrapping bandages around Nel's body, covering her wounds as well as holding her fractured bones in place.

"… Thank you…"

Clair finally managed to find her voice. Her brown eyes were no longer as dull and dim as Yvikka had seen them before. The dark haired woman smiled in response. She then jumped out of the wagon, and returned shortly with a thick tunic, which she wrapped it around Nel to keep her body warm.

After all that was done, reports found her. One told her that all the lums had been replaced, and the convoy was ready to go, and the other said that her soldiers had gained control over the chaos, and the streets were clear and passable. The dark haired commander smiled at the reports. They were like a drip of water in the midst of drought for her… and Clair. She knew that, because the other woman's eyes were bright once again.

**(End of flashback)**

_But again, this place is on the verge of being a war zone once again…_

The thought frightened her, but she then decided to put it aside for later. Right now, finding a way to help Clair was first among her priorities, and she had promised herself to stop at nothing to achieve it. Not long after, she was on her steed, as were the doctor and Clair's aide. As they rode to Aquios, Yvikka muttered a silent prayer.

_Lady Nel, if you are truly out there and alive, you'd better return soon…for Lady Clair's sake…_


	5. The Tender, Fierce Heart one

Disclaimers # 1: Star Ocean names, characters, and all of its related articles are the rightful properties of Square-Enix. I don't own any more of Star Ocean but a copy of the game. If there's something I can claim ownership here, it's my OC.

Disclaimers # 2: This is a fanfiction based on another fanfiction titled Two Soldiers: Fire and Ice authored by Artemis' Bow. Sometimes, our plots crossed at some points, therefore, you might want to (and probably, have to) read her fic as well to get a better grasp of my story (I highly recommend it). Her excellent piece of work forms the basis of this fic, along with her support and approval. If you like this fic, then part of the credit shall goes to her.

Author's Note **(Please Read)**: Actually, I don't have anything to say here but a humble wish to you all who read this story: please review. This is my first fic, and I need to know what aspect I should improve to make this a good, likeable piece of writing to you. Once again, readers, please be kind enough to leave reviews.

And as always, please read and enjoy. Happy reading

**The Third Soldier: Another Heart**

**Chapter 4: The Tender, Fierce Heart—Part One**

Castle Aquaria, audience chamber.

Aquaria XXVII was in her throne as always, along with her faithful magistrate, Laselle, beside her. Before her a moment ago had been a party from Arias: the Chain Legion commander, the Shield Legion head doctor, and the Shield Legion commander's aide, bringing information on Arias' latest situation.

The information had been delivered, and the queen had worded her decisions in regard to the Arias matter, which clearly indicated that the meeting was over. The other companions had long retreated themselves as the queen dismissed them, but the Chain Legion commander remained still, her head down.

The queen, slightly surprised with the commander's insistence, asked, her voice gentle.

"Lady Yvikka, do you still have something to say?"

Yvikka, though realizing that she had gotten the queen's attention, didn't—or rather, couldn't—speak. Her speech was halted in her throat. Her heart was torn between the extremes of her loyalty to her queen, and her selfish concern for her dear superior. She was only a legion commander, neither a Crimson Blade, nor a magistrate, not even someone who had the position to talk back at the face of the queen's order. Moreover, her queen, Aquaria XXVII was considered as the Holy Mother of the time. Disobeying her order could be considered treason at best, and even blasphemy at worst.

"… Pardon my insolence, my queen, but I…" The commander finally managed. Her head sank as she struggled to get the one and the last word out, the one word which carried both her concern for Clair and what that might be her damnation.

"… I object…"

"Who do you think you are, dare to object the queen's order?" Laselle, the queen's magistrate shot out almost immediately as the objection was clearly stated. He was about to speak again, but the queen waved her hand in front of him.

"Silence, Laselle," said the queen. Her voice was strong, but it went gentle again as she spoke to the daring woman in front of her.

"Say your reason."

The queen's word, though gently voiced, felt like another burden fell to the commander's already-laden shoulders. It crashed on her, sending her head and shoulders even lower.

_There might be no better place for it…_

_Arias… might mean a lot to Lady Clair, and so does Lady Clair to her soldiers there, but…_

_Since when did a war-threatened place become the best place to treat an ill person?_

_If war is to happen there, Lady Clair…_

This one thing had plagued her since they left Arias. The probabilities were clear, but she couldn't decide herself. She was unsure. Unsure herself whether her voiced objection, be it accepted or not, would be for everyone's good.

_Get on with it, Yvikka, silence won't solve a thing!_

With that in mind, she finally voiced her reason, hoping that it would bring her the much needed answer.

"I beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty, but I… I can't… I can't agree with the decision of keeping Lady Clair in Arias. I fully realize that Arias… might be the best place to begin with her recovery, and her soldiers there… might want her to be there with them as much as I do, but Arias… Arias is also not the safest place to be. Our enemies are right at its gate, and if they attacked—"

Her sentence was stopped as she saw from the corner of her eyes, a glimpse of movement from her queen. She could see that the queen brought herself up from the throne, and, to the commander's horror, stepped closer at _her_. Yvikka didn't dare to look up as she saw the queen's gown so close to her. The queen was close, closer than ever, standing over her.

Yvikka shut her eyes tight, cursing at herself.

_This is it… I'll be damned…_

Instead of receiving the damnation she'd expected, she felt a soft hand caressed her cheek, and then to her chin, lifting her face up. The queen's voice came to her ears.

"Open your eyes, Lady Yvikka."

Be it anyone else, the dark haired might just shake herself off and bolted out as far away as possible, but this was her queen, one of the few people whose command she had no defense against.

Slowly, the commander opened her eyes, only to be taken aback upon finding that her eyes were actually at an equal level with the queen's. Worries were apparent on them, and it pained the dark haired. The queen's hand was holding her face. It was only a gentle touch, but it bore strength strong enough to make her unable to turn away. Her mind blanked at her queen's concerned look. She wanted to say something, but nothing came up her mind. Her lips shut.

"I understand your feeling," was the queen's words after a moment of silence.

"I myself wanted to have Lady Clair to be administered here, for I believe that 'here' is the safest place possible. However, I believe that you realize the sensitivity of this matter—we can't let this be known to others. It is almost impossible to have Lady Clair be administered here without attracting much attention. Even if it is possible… we might have to resort to keeping her in a far, solitary place so as to avoid other's attention, with only few people attend her. I personally don't like that. In Arias, many people there care to her, and I believe that it is better for her to be among the people who care to her…" The queen paused, looked deeper at the jet-black orbs before her, and went on.

"I know this might be a burden to you, but please… take care of Arias, Lady Clair… and Lady Nel as well."

The last, pleading sentence of her queen's broke the commander, washed all of her disagreements away.

"Your Majesty!" Her answer spilled rapidly out of her throat, her head on the floor, "I… I humbly beg for your forgiveness…"

She was grateful. Truly grateful, not because that she was not damned or sentenced, but more because that the queen was willing to explain the cause of her decision, which turned out to be something which she had never expected. The commander then dared herself to look again at her queen's face, voicing her decision.

"I shall protect Arias… its citizens… Lady Clair, and Lady Nel…"

The queen gave her soldier a faint smile upon hearing the decision. She then stood up again, and walked solemnly to her throne. From there, she dismissed the commander once again, which was met by an utter compliance from the commander. The queen watched as the woman retreated to the large door leading to the main corridor, opened it, and finally closed it from the other side.

"Laselle."

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Her name…Yrsenlaf… that name doesn't sound unfamiliar to me," the queen then turned to her magistrate beside her, "Could you please look for any information about her background and families? If my memory serves me right, it could be that Yrsenlaf lineage might have been among the servants of the royalty."

"At once, Your Majesty."

---

Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf, the Chain Legion commander, had just come out of the audience chamber, eyes still downcast.

It was just one day after it had begun, and it was hard, _very_ hard on her.

At the start of the day, she had seen her esteemed commander—Clair—in a condition almost unbearable to see. In the day's briefing, she had had to put up with the dismaying news and the disheartened soldiers, which almost took her patience. Nary before going to Aquios, she had learned the painful truth about Clair's condition, which nearly broke her into pieces. And just now, she had to see worries apparent in the queen's serene face, which made her feel like a convicted criminal. Guilt crashed down hard on her.

_I had thought that the queen would heed little attention to her soldiers… but I was wrong after all…_

In the meeting, the news about the probable attack on Aquarian territory by the Glyphian anti-alliance party was something less to worry about, much less to talk about, partly because the queen had expected that such thing would happen. The news about her Crimson Blades in Arias, however, aside from the fact that it was both unexpected and ill-timed, was the queen's main concern. In fact, the discussion about the two commanders had been the most part of the meeting. The queen had asked the commander and her companions many things about the being of Nel and Clair, and it had been quite often that they had to restate the information. It was apparent that the queen was really worried about them.

Upon learning Clair's condition, the queen had offered two of the castle's—which could be as well, Aquaria's—best doctors to attend the grieving commander. Surely, the offer soothed some of the uncertainty and ill-feelings in the dark haired commander's heart, and she had agreed to that, but she had also been a bit livid at the decision of keeping Clair in Arias.

Her anger, however, didn't last long. The queen's words to her at the audience chamber just before had washed it away.

_I'm sorry, my queen, for thinking such an ill-thought…_

But that was only a part of the guilt which was burdening her shoulders. Her mind wandered back to the time when she and Clair had been discussing the other part of the relief order, which had arrived quite late in the day of her arrival in Arias…

**(Flashback)**

"I'm not going anywhere. That's my decision."

"But, Lady Clair…"

Clair Lasbard, the commanding officer in Arias, looked up at her dark-haired subordinate. The unyielding look of her pale brown eyes bore strength that brooks no argument.

"I don't care what Laselle will say, but I'm not leaving my soldiers here," Clair spoke with a tone which was somewhat foreign to the other commander before her, "There's still much to do, besides, you haven't had the grasp of the situation here. There's no way I would leave my soldiers to someone who don't have the whole picture of the sit—"

The silver haired commander stopped her voice short, apparently realized that she was being somewhat harsher than her usual. Yvikka was also struck speechless by her superior's words, and moreover, by the foreign, atypical sentiment behind the voice that carried the words. Clair always worried about everyone who was under her command, the dark haired knew, but the runologist had become uncharacteristically stern at the mentioning of the newly arrived order—an order that Clair was to be relieved from her commander position in Arias, and Yvikka was to take her place. Surely, it meant that Clair would have to return to Aquios, or go to anywhere else but to Arias to take the much needed rest she deserved, but it was only for Clair, and no one else.

No matter how hard the dark haired woman thought about it, she couldn't find a word of rebuttal. To be blatantly honest with herself, she was glad that now she could actually be with Clair and Nel after all the times of worrying about the two commanders being in the heat of the last war. However, she would be even more contented if she could see the people she treasured as she did Clair and Nel to be in a place far from the image of war and death. Now that Clair had a chance to go home, she was more than willing to urge the silver haired to do just that, but Clair's last words were true enough, and undisputable.

While she was lost in thought, Clair silently moved closer to her, and rested her gentle hands on the other's shoulders.

"Look, Yvikka…" The runologist's voice gentle; the tone of her usual self, "I'm sorry… I don't mean to be harsh. It's not that I don't trust you, or that you're incompetent. I highly value your abilities, and I have no doubt about it, and, to be honest, I'm glad that it's you who Laselle sent here as the relief. I don't mind leaving my soldiers to you, but I have to be sure that you know your surroundings well."

"I understand, Lady Clair. I apologize."

The silver haired runologist let out a soft sigh, and smiled, "It's not your fault. I mean, really, Laselle needs to learn to be a soldier sometimes. How could he give such order in such a hasty manner?"

"I, too, have to learn," the other commander spoke, "I still have a way to go if I am to take your place here, Lady Clair."

"You will take my place here, eventually," answered the silver haired commander.

"Really?"

Clair chuckled at Yvikka's response, "Do you think I want to stay here forever? Of course I don't. I will just postpone the fulfillment of this order. Once I told you everything you need to know and learn here, I'll leave."

Yvikka sighed at her superior's words. She usually trusted everything Clair said, but this time she was unsure. She had known Clair to be someone who is all-comforting, but she was also aware that in doing so, it is quite often that one has to contain his or her own feelings. With Clair, however, she didn't know, but her reaction to the order, though her said reason was understandable, had been so out of the character that the dark haired commander had known during their time working together. There was something behind the beautiful pale face that Yvikka couldn't see, much less comprehend, and it made her wonder.

_Does she say that only to comfort me, also? To make me feel better?_

_But… have I ever found her words to be untrue? I don't think I have._

… _I haven't really seen her for quite some time, anyway, and the war… it has changed many people as well…_

_On top of that… she is right about me…_

Eventually, the dark haired commander chose to believe.

**(End of flashback)**

She rubbed her already messy hair at the remembrance. The guilt stung her heart again. The same old guilt that had plagued her ever since the war had started, since Nel and Clair had been in the frontline, and had grown even worse in the past few days.

_Yvikka the good-for-nothing! _She scolded herself.

_Had you been a more able person, you would've taken her position sooner, she would have been home, and things might be different!_

_Even when you're close to them, you're still good for nothing! There's nothing you can do for them! Nothing you can do to help them!_

_Nothing…_

… _nothing…_

… _nothing again…_

Her balance wavered at the punishing thought. Her head pounded with sudden pain. Quickly, she leaned her body against the nearest wall, knowing that her knees might fail her sooner or later. She was about to give up, but a voice broke through her pain, and then her mind, stopping the thought of giving up by jolting herself back to reality.

"Lady Yvikka, are you all right?"

The pained commander turned to see the owner of the voice. It was Ersa—Clair's aide. Along with her presence came the images of the other soldiers of Clair's, the ones whom she had been entrusted with, the ones who relied on her, as well as the ones she herself had promised to take care of.

_What am I thinking? Giving up?_

_What will become of Arias if I give up?_

_What will become of Lady Clair and Lady Nel if I give up?_

_What will they say if I give up?_

_I can't give up now. I still have many things to do._

Having found her resolve again, the dark haired commander pushed herself upright, and gave the other woman a forced smile.

"… I'm fine, Ersa. Just a little tired, I guess. Where's Miss Aline?"

Ersa sighed at the commander's response. It was the second time that day she saw the dark haired woman so lost in thought.

"… Aline went ahead to meet the high priestess to give her the queen's orders. When everything's ready, we shall meet in the chapel's entrance."

"I see… let's go there, then."

The aide complied with no more question, but actually, she was still wondering about the commander. As she followed her down the stairs, she finally tried to ask.

"Pardon me, Lady Yvikka, but—"

"Please…" Yvikka cut in and glanced over at the aide. Her expression was a slight hint of displeasure, which gave Ersa a really bad feeling, but it soon disappeared as the commander continued.

"Please… leave out that 'lady'. It's not like we haven't known each other for a while."

Ersa smiled at the remark. Though she and Yvikka had been together since they were still in the military training, and then again in the Shield Legion garrison, she had acted quite distantly to the dark haired commander upon their reunion. Aside from the respect her dark haired friend had earned now that she was a legion commander, she respected Yvikka because the other woman was also her senior. Now her friend wanted her to act normally, and it made her glad.

"I had wanted to do that, but I can't help it. I am very much used to it ever since our days in the Shield Legion. After all, you are now a legion commander, as well as my senior, but, I will try… Yvikka."

The commander turned at the aide, a broad smile on her face. Too many people addressed her as 'lady' or 'commander'. Even her friends, except Clair, called her that because most of them were either her subordinates, or common folk who knew her first as a legion commander, and it made them feel distant to her. Usually she never bother to worry about it, but now, the burden over her was so heavy that it made her feel the need to close the distance—the need to be recognized not as someone of authority, but more as a person with all of her own flaws and weaknesses.

And being called by her name, without a title, gave her the feeling of that closeness.

"That sounds better, Ersa. Now, is there something you want to ask me?"

"Yes, I, uh… If I may know, what happened?"

Yvikka's brows furrowed, "Pardon me? When?"

"In the audience chamber just a moment ago."

"Oh, that?" The commander did not answer to the question right away. She diverted her jet black eyes from the other woman's, staring down at the marble stairs they were walking on, and then looked back into the other's eyes.

"I… voiced my objection," was her answer.

Ersa jerked with surprise at the answer. Even she knew that, except the Crimson Blades and some other high-ranking officials such as the magistrate, no other people had the privilege to talk back to the queen's decisions, unless the queen had said otherwise beforehand. She remembered in their training days, that this woman had argued quite often with their instructors and seniors, but she never thought Yvikka to be so daring in front of the queen.

"Really?" Ersa managed to find her voice again, though barely recovered from shock, "What did Her Majesty say about that, then?"

"Her Majesty…" Yvikka began, "… also cares about Lady Clair as much as we do. I believe you know that this matter is sensitive. If Lady Clair's treatment is to be administered here, or in any other place, she will have to be kept hidden from attention. That would be much more like an exile… Because of that, Her Majesty believes that it will be better if she stays in Arias, where, as Her Majesty also believes, there are a lot more people to care for her…"

"Her Majesty really said that?"

"Truly, and I have no other choice but to repay Her Majesty's trust in the face of that."

Ersa sighed with relief. Inside her heart, she admitted that she also disagreed with the queen's decision to keep her commander in Arias, but she didn't have the courage to speak out. The aide then looked at her dark haired friend with awe, grateful that her friend was able to speak it out in her place.

"Thank you."

"Pardon me?"

Ersa smiled at the response, and answered.

"Never mind."

Yvikka sighed in response. She smiled back at her friend, and returned the thanks, remembering how the other woman had helped her through the day.

"Thank you to you, too."

"For what?"

"Um… Never mind?"

Ersa grumbled in a slight annoyance, her face twisted into such a look that would normally make the dark haired commander laugh.

But sadly, Yvikka could not give any more than a smile in the face of the aide's expression.

Not long after, the two women were in front of the castle's chapel entrance, waiting for their companion. The Shield Legion head doctor, Aline, found them a short time after, along with the high priestess and one of her colleagues—the doctors assigned by the queen. It turned out that they were ready to go, with all of their things already loaded into one of the royal wagons waiting in the castle's front yard. They took their leave almost immediately. The sun had passed its peak when the party left the gate of Aquios.

---

It was nearly the middle of the night, but Yvikka could not sleep despite the fact that she had spent most of the day in the saddle. They had arrived back in Arias only just after the dinner bell had rung. The castle doctors, along with Aline, went immediately to see Clair in her room, and had stayed there ever since.

She was with Ersa, waiting patiently and silently in front of the door to Clair's room.

A creak of the opened door broke the silence. Behind the door was the high priestess, who gestured the two women to come inside.

"How is she?" Yvikka asked almost immediately as she got in the room.

"It is indeed, catatonia," answered the high priestess, "I see some recently healed wounds all over her body. From your reports, Lady Yvikka, you said that she was attacked by fiends, true?"

"That is right, Your Eminence."

The answer was met with a furrowed brow from the high priestess, "That is strange. When I first looked at your reports, and then the scars in Lady Clair's body, I had thought that the cause of Lady Clair's catatonic stupor would be physical trauma, but now I see that the wounds were minor," the priestess paused, her hand going to the part of Clair's head where she'd found a scar, caressing it gently, "Even the head trauma, which is believed to have the highest probability of inciting a catatonic state, was no more than a gash in the skin, and is unlikely to be the cause. That is, to the best of my knowledge."

The priestess then looked again at the dark-haired woman, "Would you happen to know if there's anything that happened the day before… a kind of experience which might have affected Lady Clair emotionally, or psychologically? If there is, it might well be the cause."

Yvikka and Ersa looked at each other at the doctor's question. A few moments of silence came and went before Yvikka's voice finally came.

"Even if there is, I don't know the details, Your Eminence. When we found her the day before, she was already… 'blank', but she managed to say something before she went completely unresponsive."

"What is it, if I may know?"

Yvikka didn't answer right away. The memory of the moments Clair had spoken to her in her arms was a source of great pain to her. With a heaving of her shoulders, the commander managed to answer.

"It's about Lady Nel… Lady Nel… being alive, or maybe… dead."

The dark haired commander then went on, telling the doctors of the events that had happened the day before.

The elder doctor, the high priestess, couldn't hide the shock the news of Nel's probable demise caused her. After a short moment of silence, the doctor spoke again.

"It is believed that such emotional events, such as rejection and the death of a loved one or a close friend, can cause a great depression, which eventually leads to catatonia. The chance of her recovery, if that is the case, is slim, because we are not dealing with mere physical injury, but I promise that we will do our best to bring her back."

---

Arias, a few days later…

The town was still in the process of rebuilding itself, as always. However, the rebuilding effort had shifted priorities. Walls and gates were fortified; new watchtowers were erected, as well as some defensive structures—even some of the newly fixed houses and barns were modified to be used as makeshift defensive structures. The Arias townsfolk had also been informed about the possibility of the rogue Glyphian's attack on Arias. The townsfolk responded coolly to the news. In the war, Arias had been the target of many Airyglyph attacks, and its people had been used to it for quite a time.

Clair Lasbard was still being attended in her room. Only a few people knew about the woman's real condition. Nevertheless, everyone knew that she was ill. The castle doctors practically never left the room where Clair was. They would take turns attending Clair, laboring with both their bodies and minds to find the cure for the silver haired woman's spirit—something which had yet to be found.

Nel Zelpher was still assumed missing. The search effort for her was hampered by the escalating tension at the border. Hence, little search effort had been made, and none of the attempts had returned with good news.

Yvikka, the Chain Legion commander, now the acting commander of Arias, had worked hard redirecting the town's rebuilding and defense organization. The dark haired worked, or rather, labored, herself like no one else. In the daytime, she would be seen briefing the soldiers, watching and inspecting the rebuilding, and even taking the field patrol duty almost every day. At night, she would fill her idle moments with studying Clair's logbooks and reports. It was quite often the soldiers on the night shift saw the light in her room lit up for the whole night.

Few occasions of note happened during those days. Patrols, however, had some encounters with some unknown group in the vicinity of Aire hills. Upon being sighted, the group fled toward the Kirlsa hills, a Glyphian territory. It was surmised later that the group was probably some recon party sent by the rogue Glyphian militia. Though the encounters were harmless, they nevertheless, added to the growing tension in Arias.

At one time late in the day, however…

---

Yvikka had just returned from attending to some errands with her legion in Peterny. As she dismounted from her steed, Sisera, her aide, along with Ersa and several other soldiers ran up to her. From the looks on their faces, the dark haired woman could tell that something that could only be far from good had just happened.

"Has something happened during my leave?" Asked the commander as her soldiers got to her.

"It's…" Ersa's voice came between pants, "… It's Lady Nel…!"

The commander went tense almost immediately at the aide's words. Her hands clutched Ersa's shoulders without her even realizing it. She asked again, hoping that things were not as bad as she had imagined.

"Did you find her?"

The aide shook her head, and then glanced at Sisera, who took that as her cue to take over.

"A patrol group caught a Glyphian on his way to Arias. He claims to be a messenger from Airyglyph, and he has a message for the Arias commander… for you."

"What is the message?"

"He said that…" Sisera faltered, but managed, "He said that they have captured Lady Nel, and demand that Lady Clair… or the commander of Arias… is to come to the Kirlsa Training Facility for..."

"For what?" The commander rushed, rather impatient by now.

"Well… for a 'negotiation'. That is what he said. He also said that we have one day to comply with the demand, otherwise, they will have Lady Nel executed…"

The dark haired commander gritted her teeth. Her fists clenched in an effort to contain her anger. For a moment, she just wanted to get back on her steed and bolt out to the training facility. Aside from looking for Nel, she would also be glad to give every Glyphian she found there the hardest beating she could think of. Her composure took over, however, which cleared her mind for a more tactical line of thinking.

"Did that messenger bring any proof of Lady Nel?"

Sisera shook her head, sighed, "No, he didn't. I asked, but he said that Lady Nel will be there, and we have to see her by ourselves. Nevertheless, this 'message' has spread panic among the soldiers despite the fact that there is no proof that they have truly captured Lady Nel."

"He 'said' all that?" Asked the commander.

"Er… yes…"

"In front of you all, out loud so that everyone can hear?" The commander asked again, ensuring.

"… yes…" The aide answered lowly. Realization of the true intention of the Glyphian 'messenger' came to her as her commander pointed it out.

Yvikka bowed her head. She clenched her jaws tightly in an effort to repress the burning anger within her.

_Leaving no room for bargain, eh?_

_Some dirty tactics… Even if they lie, they've succeeded in spreading panic here._

_But… where and when did they learn this…?_

Having buried the anger within her, the commander brought her head up again. The last matter could wait, for she had more important things to think of—to deal with the panic and calm the soldiers.

"This is a lie," the commander spoke, her voice strong, "It's just too obvious; this must be a trap. If they don't give us any proof that they have captured Lady Nel, we shall not comply. We won't comply with nonsense such as this!"

"But, Yvikka…" Ersa lifted her voice, a touch of fear in it now, "Tynave and Farleen… they have already gone there…"

The commander was thunderstruck upon hearing the last sentence.

_By Apris… HOW COULD THEY BE SO STUPID!_

This time, her fingers tore through the leather glove and scraped the skin of her palm as she clenched her fists again. The anger she'd buried before had almost erupted back to the surface, but she held it back with a massive effort. She then remembered from the previous reports she'd read, that Tynave and Farleen had once been captured by the Glyphians, and Nel had come to their rescue. The commander closed her eyes and sighed.

_I can understand if they want to return the debt, but…_

"When… and how did they leave here?" Yvikka finally managed after a moment of thought, her voice trembling with restrained anger.

"They left several hours ago, on foot. They took the gate to the Aire hills," Ersa answered.

"The Aire hills… on foot. Let's see…"

The dark haired commander took out a map she always brought with her. She then kneeled and laid the map on the ground. As it was dusk already, she took out her glowstone and lighted it above the map. The other soldiers around her followed suit. All of them kneeled on the ground and looked at the map.

"From Aire hills… there are two routes to get to the training facility," the commander spoke in the tone she used for briefing the soldiers, "One is the wide path across the mining town of Kirlsa and Granah hills, and the other… I haven't seen it yet myself, but according to Lady Clair's log, there is a narrow path leading from Aire hills directly to Granah hills."

"I know that route," sounded a female soldier, "We once used that route to rescue the Apris followers destined to be executed in the facility, back at the beginning of the war. It is a long, narrow, and rough path. Though it is a longer path compared to the other one, it is far safer in terms of not meeting any Glyphian patrols."

"Is it still passable these days?" Asked the commander.

"It is," the soldier answered, "We still have it patrolled regularly, and the Glyphians seem to be oblivious to it."

"Any way we can catch up with Tynave and Farleen using this path?"

The soldier shrugged, "Whatever route they've taken, they must be near the facility by now. There's no way we can catch up with them before they reach the facility, even on a steed."

"Then I'll look for them in the facility and bring them back here before anything else happens," Yvikka concluded. As she put the map away while bringing herself back to her feet, she spoke again, "I need volunteers to come with me to Kirlsa Training Facility."

"Wait, commander!"

"What is it, Sisera?" Yvikka snapped, turning at her aide.

The brunette soldier flinched at having her commander's tense stare directed at her, but she braced herself, and managed, "Commander… you… you've just returned from a journey. I don't think it would be wise if you go. Please just take some rest, and let us soldiers handle it."

The commander looked at her aide in the eyes. She was then reminded of the last time her aide had tried to stop her from overworking herself—the day when they had gone to patrol together the last time. As her jet-black orbs met her aide's amber, she saw it again, the light of worries, not at all unlike the light she had seen in those eyes that day.

"Sisera…" The commander spoke softly, "I know you're concerned, but I am now the commander here… It is my responsibility to see the well-being of my soldiers. After all, they wanted the commander of this town to come there, so I'll come."

Sisera was speechless in the face of the commander's words. Unlike the last time they had been discussing similar matter, this time, the commander had a strong reason to go, and it was undisputable. However, she had also found a reason to come along.

"Then let me come along with you," the brunette pleaded, "As your aide here, I have the responsibility to be by your side and ensure your well-being as well. Besides, I've been to the facility before, and I, at least, _know_ that place, whereas you don't."

Yvikka went silent at her aide's persistence. The dark haired woman then glanced over at Ersa, for she realized that the commanding position would fall on her if she let Sisera come along. Apparently, the other woman understood the message conveyed by the jet black orbs directed at her.

"It's fine, Yvikka. I can handle the situation here," the woman voiced her answer to the unspoken question.

The commander nodded thanks to her friend in response, and then looked at her soldier before her, "Fine, you can come."

"I'll come too," the female soldier who'd talked with her before spoke up, "I know Kirlsa and its surrounding areas well, including the training facility itself. I believe I can be of help."

The commander looked at the soldier. Her outfit indicated that she was one of the Secret Legion operatives. Her voice and the way she talked bore signs that she was well tempered in war.

"What's your name, soldier?"

"Chloe," the soldier answered, saluting, "Chloe Rheims, Secret Legion, first infiltration unit."

"Very well, Chloe, you're in. Now, I need one more—"

The commander's voice was cut short as the sight of many raised hands and the sound of many voices voicing the willingness to come along came to her. Not long after, a party of four mounted soldiers left Arias. Under the slowly darkening red sky of sunset, they galloped through Aire Hills, and eventually went down the secret path to the Granah hills.


	6. The Tender, Fierce Heart two

Disclaimers # 1: Star Ocean names, characters, and all of its related articles are the rightful properties of Square-Enix. I don't own any more of Star Ocean but a copy of the game. If there's something I can claim ownership here, it's my OC.

Disclaimers # 2: This is a fanfiction based on another fanfiction titled Two Soldiers: Fire and Ice authored by Artemis' Bow. Sometimes, our plots crossed at some points, therefore, you might want to (and probably, have to) read her fic as well to get a better grasp of my story (I highly recommend it). Her excellent piece of work forms the basis of this fic, along with her support and approval. If you like this fic, then part of the credit shall goes to her.

Author's Note : Here is chapter 5. This chapter is written together with the last chapter (chp. 4), hence the relatively fast update. This one is a tough one to get through, but thanks to Artemis', I can get it through and show this to you all. To all of you who read this story, you have my thanks as well. Still, I would appreciate it more if you'd like to be kind enough to leave a review. Please, readers, review this story.

And as always, please read and enjoy. Happy reading

**The Third Soldier: Another Heart**

**Chapter 5: The Tender, Fierce Heart—Part Two**

Kirlsa Training Facility, third floor.

Tynave let out a war cry as she jumped at one of the armored men surrounding her. The man tried to anticipate the woman's attack, but his heavy armor hindered his movements, causing him to be at a loss against the more nimble Secret Legion operative. With unerring accuracy, Tynave shoved her dagger at an unprotected joint in her adversary's armor. The man cried out, and then fell to the ground clutching the mortal wound the woman had inflicted. Another man tried to attack the blonde woman from behind, but was stopped dead in his track by a blast of lightning spell that cooked him to the point of being well-done inside his armor. Tynave turned to look at her helper, Farleen, and saw it in time, a shadow behind her purple-haired friend. More by instinct than thought, the blonde woman took her spare _kunai_—a type of throwing knife—and threw one at the figure behind her friend. A blood gurgling scream came out as the knife struck the man behind Farleen right in his neck.

A moment ago, their purpose of coming to the facility was looking for their leader, Nel Zelpher—who was claimed to have been held captive in the facility. Though the news bore hints of trickery, the two spies decided to go because they had the need of confirming it. No matter whether the claim was true or not, they also fully realized that whoever sent the messenger of the news obviously had no intention of negotiating.

Their worries of the obvious trap waiting in the facility were realized, and now they were fighting for their life.

Though the two spies could easily outmatch their assailants when it came to one-on-one fight, fighting dozens of enemies all at once was surely out of question. Eventually, the two had their backs to the wall, surrounded. Tynave was very much black and blue by then. Blood, both from her enemies she'd cut and from her own wounds, covered her. For a moment, Tynave felt that her body would fail her, but the sight of her partner being less battered than she was as she glanced over at the figure slightly behind her made her forget the pain and fatigue of her body. She would keep on fighting.

"Tynave, stop protecting me. I can fight," said Farleen, very much worried about her friend's condition.

"Not as well as I do when they're up close," Tynave answered without diverting her eyes from the men before her, "Just stay behind me and keep them back with runology, and I'll be fine."

"Tynave! I'm here to help, not to be a burden!"

Before Tynave could even think of answering, a familiar figure stepped forward from behind the men surrounding her and her friend. Her blue eyes widened in a displeased surprise.

"Shelby! How could…"

The former Black Brigade second-in-command sneered at the two women, as intimidating as ever, and was made even more so by the scar Nel's blade had left in his face in their last fight. His heavy plate armor clanked with his every move, signifying the weight of the armor he was wearing, which well reflected the man's strength.

"Surprised, woman?" Shelby spoke. His voice was heavy with the air of arrogance and utter confidence, "Surely I'm not dead yet, but that dungeon was a pain. I should be thankful to 'them' for giving me such a chance."

"Where's Lady Nel!" Tynave asked, her voice strong in an attempt to sound undaunted.

"Hm? 'Where's Lady Nel?' So you're looking for 'Lady Nel'?" Still wearing his scornful grin, Shelby then turned at his men, and spoke, "Do you hear that, men? They're looking for 'Lady Nel'."

Mumblings could be heard from the rank of Shelby's men at the response of the man's saying.

"If they're looking for Nel Zelpher, that means…" Sounded a random man in armor.

"… That means, that Zelpher is truly gone! The rumor is true!" Another man concluded.

"She's gone! That witch is gone! There's nothing we should be afraid of now!"

Cheering followed as the last, concluding sentence was said, leaving the two women dumbfounded.

"It's a pity that I don't have your 'Lady Nel' here," Shelby spoke again as he turned his bulky body to the cornered spies, "Because if I did, it would be my pleasure to show her to you after all the fun I would've had with her if I could get my hands on her."

"You filth!" Tynave growled. Anger took over her, and she charged at the former Black Brigade, only to meet the punishing blow of Shelby's gauntlet to her chest. With a groan of pain, the blonde spy flew backward, smashing into the wall behind her.

"Tynave!" Farleen cried her friend's name as she got to her. Tynave was not out yet, but her body was shaking. Farleen took that as the effect of the wounds her friend had sustained.

Shelby smirked contentedly at the sight before him, "Well, thanks to you coming here, now we know that the rumor about that witch is true. And thanks to you again, we now have this 'something' to start the war again," as he was speaking, the man then turned, and walked to the middle of his men, "Take them, be it dead or alive, I don't care."

As the last sentence was said, Shelby's men—apparently Glyphian rogues—closed on the two spies. Though wounded, Tynave moved before her friend, shielding her. A whisper came to Farleen's ear.

"I'll distract them. If you see the chance, run."

"Tynave… no, don't…"

But Tynave's decision was final. She no longer heard her friend's objections, as she had shut her ears to them. As she was about to make her one last charge, a small explosion rocked the floor. As everyone was wondering what had happened, another explosion came. It was so strong that it threw some standing people off-balance. This time, Tynave didn't miss her chance.

The woman charged at the stumbling men, came at one of them with a ferocious palm strike. The one blow sent the man flying towards his companions behind him, effectively halting their advance as well as creating an opening for an escape.

"Now, Farleen, run!"

The split-second distraction of yelling at her friend made the blonde spy unaware of her surroundings. As she got back to it, she saw Shelby before her, his battle axe raised high. Blood flew…

… or not. Before Shelby could swing the axe, Farleen planted a fire bolt spell nice and square in the man's face. Tynave followed with a brutal body slam which floored Shelby hard. She then retreated, joining Farleen on the escape. The sound of Shelby's enraged roar could be heard from behind them, as well as the heavy thump of many feet chasing them.

Suddenly, Tynave heard her friend cried from behind her. Before she could even turn to look at Farleen, a glimpse of a thrown metal object came from behind her. After that, came the sight of Farleen flying. Her frail body landed hard on the stone floor, rolling over on the floor before coming to a complete stop a few yards before the blonde spy. Her blood making tracks along the floor.

"FARLEEN!" The blonde spy cried. Ignoring the sound of the closing thud of their chasers, she stopped at her friend's side, clutching her.

As she looked at her purple haired friend, she saw a nasty wound on her back, right in her left shoulder blade. The skin and flesh was torn open horribly, blood coming out of it. Knowing her time was short, she pushed herself and her friend's limp body upright, attempting to carry her friend. Before she could even take a step, however, two armored men caught up with her with raised swords. The blonde spy gave the first one to reach her a kick squarely in the chest, pushing him backward. The second came, sword first, only to be deflected by the gauntlet of his opponent's free hand, which then came as a punch to his unprotected face. Two down, but more of them were coming.

As Tynave readied herself for more fighting, a weak mutter came from the figure she was carrying.

"…Leave…me… Tynave…"

"No!" Was the immediate answer, "I'll carry you!"

"Don't…be…stupid…" Though weakly voiced, the voice was strong with a tone of disapproval, "I… slow you down… You… got to… live… I…"

"Listen, Farleen!" Tynave cut in, "We're in this together! We came here together, and we'll leave here together. If you stay, I stay, if you go… I go…"

… _to the bitter end… _Tynave said to herself. She closed her eyes as she saw more of her chasers coming, praying.

_Lady Nel… forgive us… Farleen, forgive me…_

Just as she became certain of her death, several metal objects came from behind her, striking the three rogues closing at her in their vital spots. The objects turned out to be _kunai_s, the Secret Legion's trademark throwing knife. A figure, which was very familiar to both Tynave and Farleen, landed before the wounded spies.

"Chloe? What are you doing here?"

"Helping you," the woman answered Tynave's question.

"All by yourself?" Tynave asked again, half yelling.

Chloe didn't have the chance to answer the last question as two men clad in Black Brigade armor closed in on them. She drew her weapons, three _kunai_s in her left hand, and a short sword in her right. With a quick move, the spy planted the three knives in the face of one of the assailants, who was not wearing his helmet, and charged at the other. Before the man could react, a blade found its way to his throat. The two fell without even have the chance to cry. The next person to come was the last person Chloe had expected to ever face.

"DIE WOMAN!" The man screamed with rage. Though his face was partly burned, Chloe could still recognize traces of the man's features.

It was Shelby, very much enraged by now. He had a heavy spiked mace in one hand, an axe in the other, both lifted up high. With weapons in both hands, the former Glyphian lieutenant attacked the spy. Chloe jumped back just in time before Shelby's mace could smash her head to pieces. As she landed back on her feet, she clicked her tongue, cursing her bad luck of running into such a dangerous man. A symbol flashed before the spy, generating a strong gale blowing against the pursuing men. The gale was so strong that it actually halted the advance of the pursuers. A windwall spell.

"Over here!" Called another voice. It was Sisera's. Beside the brunette was Yvikka, who was casting the spell.

"Go!" Chloe yelled the command at her wounded companions. Without questioning, Tynave trudged as fast as she could, all the while carrying Farleen. As her companions made their move, Chloe took out two packs of burning explosives, and tossed them into the slowly dissipating wind spell. The packs exploded, spreading fire everywhere. With the aid of the wind, the raging flame rushed right into the Glyphian ranks, cooking some of the men rare as well as adding more burns to Shelby's face.

The party of five made their way toward the facility's exit. The facility, which was actually a fortress, was quite gigantic. At some point, Tynave knew that they were halfway to the exit, but she was also worried about the slowly cooling body she was carrying. Farleen's wound bled so badly, and if it wasn't stopped…

"Stop!"

The exclamation stopped the other three women. Their eyes went Tynave, and then to Farleen, whose eyes went slacker with every passing moment.

"Farleen… she's…"

Tynave stopped her sentence as she saw Yvikka coming to her side. Seeing the commander's face was like agony for her, for she knew that she was guilty of not having the commander's consent. The dark haired woman then looked at Farleen's wound, finding it in need of immediate attention.

"We have to stop the bleeding," the commander said, "It will be too late for her if we wait until we reach Arias. Chloe, do you know someplace safe to attend her here?"

"The soldier's living quarters in the first floor have good lighting. Aside from the soldiers behind us, if we have truly 'cleaned' the first floor before, it should be safe there for the moment. We should be able to do some quick patching there."

"Let's go there then."

The party then continued the run. They didn't go straight for the exit as they reached the first floor. They took a stop in one of the rooms in the living quarters, but not before slaying some remnants of Shelby's men they had left in their first pass. While Tynave, Chloe, and Yvikka were attending Farleen, Sisera was left behind as a watch. Suddenly, sounds of the clashing blades and screams of men broke out. The dark haired commander tensed. Her hand dashed for the hilt of her sword. Slowly, the commander drew her _katana_ out of its sheath and closed on the door. The door was yanked open all of a sudden, but the dark haired soldier was prepared. She pushed with her blade as the figure on the other side came into sight. It turned out that the figure was Sisera. As she got in, Yvikka's sword welcomed her with a press to her neck.

"C-commander…" The aide managed, still partly shocked by the 'near-death experience' of having a sword pressed against her skin, "… they're already here…"

With a sigh, the tense commander eased upon realizing that it was her aide whom she'd raised her sword to. She brought her blade down and looked at the others attending the wounded Farleen.

"Is it done yet?"

"Just a little longer…" Chloe answered the commander. As soon as she finished the last knot in Farleen's bandage, she pushed her wounded friend upright, taking her to her arms, "Now it's done. Let's get out of here."

Unfortunately, as they got out of the room, they found the corridor leading to the exit was already crowded with men in armor. Apparently, they were surrounded with their backs to the wall. Sisera didn't even have the chance to ask her commander what to do as she saw several Glyphian men charging at them. As if in answer to her concern, she saw Yvikka's hand stretched out from behind her with open palm. The flash of a runological symbol appeared from her hand, followed by a strong gale stopping the men's advance. As the men stumbled to keep their balance against the blowing wall of wind, the commander gestured, chanting another spell.

_From the sheltering wall of my protection… be a blade and tear my foes apart._

The symbol flickered, and the wind eased off abruptly, only to return again in another form. The wind blew again, and though not as strong as before, it was twice as painful.

The Glyphian rogue in the lead watched in disbelief as he saw slash marks appearing by themselves in the stone wall and floor, as if an invisible blade had scraped them. A strong gust struck him, leaving a slash mark on his breastplate. Another gust came and left a fairly deep cut on his unprotected face. Only a second after the initial gusts, more gusts came, slicing and tearing the man's body in various places. It turned out that the wind itself had become as sharp as blades. Like a raging torrent of invisible razor-sharp blades, the wind struck the Glyphian ranks. It grazed steel plates, cut through leather armor, sheared through chain mail, and eventually, tore through skin and flesh. Though some of the rogues wore plate armor, even they could not escape from being wounded, for the wind could find its way to the unprotected joints between the plates. The unforgiving torrent of wind blades left virtually no one unscathed, and killed an unlucky few.

"Go! To the exit!" The commander yelled loud and high.

There was no need to say it. The Glyphians' line was in disarray, as the men were distracted by pain. The party rushed through the panicked men with little trouble, but only until something, or rather, someone, struck Chloe, who was carrying Farleen, down in the middle of her run. Still clutching her friend, Chloe rolled over to see her attacker. It was Shelby again. The woman watched helplessly as the Glyphian raised his axe for a kill. Before the axe could harm her, a sword came in, stopping the axe midway. Chloe traced the helping sword back to its wielder. It was Yvikka.

"Keep… going," Yvikka grunted as she struggled against Shelby.

"You're going to pay for this… You're going to die! Die, woman!" Shelby, whose face was almost unrecognizable due to the severe burns and fresh slash wounds, groaned furiously.

Shelby raised his left hand, and swung the mace in it in a lateral arc. The dark haired soldier released her sword from the axe and flung herself backward just in time to avoid the blow. Sisera, who returned to help Chloe, saw her commander in a tangle with Shelby.

"Commander Yvikka!"

"Keep going! I'll catch up later!" The commander shouted as she parried another attack.

Sisera was pained at the idea of leaving her commander, but she knew that there was no other choice. The men around them had started to regain their focus. Some of them had even already gone into a fighting stance. With an annoyed groan, the aide ran with Chloe and Farleen to the exit, leaving Yvikka in a duel with Shelby.

The fight which once had been a duel between two warriors, now turned chaotic as other men joined. Most of the men, however, had been wounded by the last spell. Their wounds, exhaustion, stress, as well as the weight of their own armor slowed their movement, making it easy for the lone swordswoman to dodge the sluggishly launched attacks. The dark haired woman would glide swiftly among those who dared to attack her, downed some as well as threw the others against their friends, if not Shelby. Her only real concern was Shelby.

As for the enraged Shelby, the world had narrowed to only him and the dark haired swordswoman before him. All he cared about was killing his adversary, and anything else was a nuisance. He swung his weapons wildly, smashing his own men, should they get in his way. At some point, he felt that his men—who were actually trying to help him—were getting in his way. The former lieutenant then shouted a clear warning.

"IF ANYONE KILLS HER OTHER THAN ME AND I'LL HAVE HIS HEAD INSTEAD!"

Things had gotten personal for Shelby.

The men backed off at their leader's warning. Even before that, they had been afraid to get close to the fight between their leader and the Aquarian soldier. The dark haired commander was relieved by her adversary's selfishness. She knew that she wouldn't last long if the other men kept attacking her.

All she had to do now was focus.

The duel between the two resumed. Shelby was still on the offensive, as furious as ever. The fact that none of his attacks landed a hit frustrated him. The Glyphian grew angrier with every missed blow, and that made his attacks more and more reckless. It was not by luck that Shelby couldn't hit the dark haired woman. Aside from the fact that the woman was able to move more quickly, the Glyphian had to deal with the difficulties of having worn heavy armor as well as wielding heavy weapons, his movements were restricted to some extent, which led to tell-tale signs of where he would strike. But that didn't mean things were easy for the Aquarian, either. Her opponent's reach, due to his longer arms, was far beyond hers, making him difficult to counter. Staying out of the way of Shelby's attacks was somewhat easier compared to closing in and attacking, but a fight could not be won by dodging alone.

At one moment, the dark haired woman found that Shelby was well within her 'range'. The Glyphian attacked first with an overhead strike from his axe. Yvikka parried the axe, moving her sword in a semicircle to her right, deflecting Shelby's attack momentum there, throwing him off-balance. The split-second advantage of being in her opponent's blind spot as he stumbled was not something to be missed. With all of her strength, she released an attack she hoped to bring the fight to an end. Her sword hit Shelby on his back, sending him face first to the floor. Shelby was down.

Though she'd downed her adversary, the swordswoman felt something odd. There was no blood coming out. Even on her blade there was only a faint trickle of blood. As she looked again at the downed Shelby, she saw a crack on the man's armor, right in the place where she'd struck. Yvikka then realized that she'd just made a mistake.

Shelby got up again, just as the woman had expected. As the man turned to her, she saw him grinning triumphantly—or rather, maniacally.

"Is that all you've got, woman?" Shelby mocked her, still grinning, "You can't kill me that way."

"Learn from this," Shelby spoke again proudly. His one hand smashed his plate armor in a show of superiority, and then yelled out, "I AM INVINCIBLE!"

The dark haired commander distanced herself from her opponent. Her enemy had become more confident, and she knew it was not good for her. Shelby's plate armor was way too strong to be penetrated with conventional means such as a blow with a sword.

_Runology-instilled weapons such as used by the Crimson Blades can work wonders against such kinds of armor, but not my sword…_

As Yvikka thought about 'sword', she checked on her own blade, glad upon finding that it wasn't chipped—considering the violent contact it had made with Shelby's steel armor.

_I have to strike at an unprotected spot, but where…?_

Dark eyes scanned the figure of the man before them, and then stopped at one conspicuous, unprotected vital point.

… _head…?_

_Only an utter fool would receive a sword in his face…_

Her chance of thinking ended as Shelby charged at her with a war cry. Very much decided, the swordswoman took her ready stance and rushed at the charging man—her first offensive charge in the fight after all the time of being on the defensive.

It was not without purpose. By rushing at Shelby, Yvikka forced the man to be within her 'range', giving her a chance to make a counter attack just like what she'd done before. The Glyphian came, this time using his left-hand mace. The woman deflected the mace, directing it down to the ground with a loop of her sword while sidestepping to the attacker's left—his blind spot. As she got there, Yvikka jumped, aiming for Shelby's head. To her surprise, the man blocked her attack using the axe on his right hand, but that was not all of it. The dark haired hadn't even touched the ground when she felt a sudden pain struck her midsection. Shelby had raised his once-grounded mace in an arc, struck the woman in the mid air, throwing her against the wall. The stone wall welcomed her hard. While she staggered under her own pain, Shelby came at her with axe raised high over his head, apparently certain of his victory.

"DIE!"

Jet black orbs widened at the sight before them.

The raised arm revealed another unprotected spot in Shelby's armor—the joint in the armpit.

It was protected only by chain mail.

It was now or never.

With a war cry, the swordswoman launched herself at the oncoming attacker, betting it all on this one last charge. Shelby, who was sure of his victory, was startled by the woman's charge. The true victor was then decided in the next second.

The sword came before Shelby could swing his axe, sheared the chain mail covering his armpit. So great was the driving force behind the sword that it went completely through the poor Glyphian's shoulder, breaking through the shoulder plate from inside.

The next second came Shelby's deafening roar of pain and disbelief. Even in his condition, Shelby refused to lose. He raised his other weapon, attempting to smash the woman's head.

The mace, however, never came. The hand holding it went limp as Yvikka thrust her recently drawn side sword into the man's throat. Shelby gurgled, fell to the hard stone floor as the sword impaling him was removed, never to move again.

Dead.

Yvikka looked at the man lying crumpled at her feet with a strange feeling. She didn't just _look—_she actually _enjoyed_ the look of the pain-twisted face the dead man still wearing for it soothed something inside her, which made her grin without her even realizing it.

It was the entire day's wrath, poured down hard during the fight, forcing her body to do things she didn't usually do.

It might be the end for Shelby, but for the dark haired woman, things were far from finished. The fight with the former Black Brigade had taken so much of her attention that she had completely forgotten about escaping.

_I've got to get out of here…_

Surely, there were still dozens of Shelby's cohorts left. But as the dark haired commander looked at them, she saw the light of disbelief in their eyes. Mumblings could be heard from among them.

"It can't be… Sir Shelby… is defeated… by a woman?"

"She's _her_! Nel Zelpher! No Aquarian could ever defeat Sir Shelby but Nel Zelpher!" A man shrieked with fear.

"Idiot! Just look at her! Her hair isn't even _red_! She's not…" Another man tried to disprove the previous statement, but was met by another rebuttal.

"She's a spy… she could be in disguise…"

The woman smirked upon hearing them arguing. Though severely outnumbered, she knew she had an advantage—a psychological advantage over the discouraged men. She knew that they had started to fear her. As she was planning her escape, she summoned a spell.

A gust of wind snapped the Glyphian rogues from their debate. They looked at the lone swordswoman, finding that a bright runological symbol had appeared before her. To their horror, the swordswoman had decided to cast _that_ spell. The disheartened men shrieked with fear, some even turned their backs on her, running away.

Yvikka sneered at the sight of the cowering men. For a moment, something inside her rose, the wrathful demon came again, telling her to trample over them like nothing before leaving. From the looks of the men, she _knew_ she could just _do_ it. Aside from the fact that they were already cowed by their leader's death, most of them were already wounded. However tempting the option was, the dark haired soldier shook it away. She had to escape, she had to live, and getting in a fight wouldn't help any of those causes.

"RIP!"

With the word, the invisible blades of wind came again, as merciless as ever, cutting through anything and anyone on its path. Though the spell lasted a shorter time than before, it nevertheless threw the Glyphian men into panic. Before they could even recover themselves, Yvikka rushed in, striking down those who were on their feet.

_Stay out of the way or get hurt._

The dark haired commander broke, or rather, _tore_ through their ranks with such ferocity and speed it was as if she was possessed by a demon. Any who dared to stand in her path, or even raise weapon against her was answered with her sword. She ran throughout the first floor's corridor, cutting many men as she passed by for daring to stand in her way. Normally, she wouldn't bother hurting the so-called 'small fries' as her true intention was just to escape. She would have just avoided them, but somehow, the wrathful demon still controlled some part of her, moving her sword hand and body with little realization from her conscious mind.

However hard she tried to ignore them, the fatigue of her body, the pain of her wounds, and the sticky feeling of the dried blood all over her caught up with her as she got past the Glyphian ranks. She came stumbling at the facility's gate, using her sword as a support.

She was tired, _very _tired. She had just returned from a journey before coming here, and she hadn't taken any time to rest. Moreover, she had cast one spell too many in the fights, and that last one had taken the last of her already taxed reserves of strength.

"_Commander… you… you've just returned from a journey. I don't think it would be wise if you go. Please just take some rest, and let us soldiers handle it."_ Sisera's voice echoed in her mind, and then another echo came to her, this one from several days ago…

"… _You're not working, commander… rather, you're killing yourself."_

"… _killing yourself."_

Yvikka smiled faintly at the remembrance. She now realized how true her aide's words were. Along with that thought, she also realized that she and Clair were very much alike, for Clair was just like that.

_Worrying about others… disregarding her own health… _

The thud of the footsteps belonging to her pursuers came closer. She turned back, looked at the images of the remnants of the Glyphian rogues coming at her.

_If I run… they will surely catch up with me…_

_If I fight…_

The dark haired drew her sword and took a stance. Rather than wasting her last reserves to run only to get caught, she chose to fight to the last ounce of her strength. If she could take them all out first, then it would be all good, but if her body failed her first, then that would be it.

She realized, however, that the latter case was more likely to happen. Even with the knowledge of that, she stood as firmly as she could. Her eyes looked at the slowly advancing men—which could well be her death—without blinking.

Waiting.

Suddenly, the sound of a galloping lum broke the tranquility of the commander waiting for her fate. A familiar voice followed.

"Take my hand, commander. Let's get out of here."

The commander smiled relief at the owner of the voice, then took the hand stretched out to her.

---

Arias, midnight.

The purple haired woman stirred in her bed as the calming spell used on her by the doctor wore off. At the same time as her vision came into focus, she saw the familiar sapphire blue orbs of her friend's.

"Ty… nave…"

"Farleen… you're awake."

"Where… is this? Were we… caught?" Farleen asked. It was apparent that she wasn't fully conscious yet.

"No," Tynave answered gently, "We're in Arias. We are safe."

"I… see," the other woman managed in response. Memories of the day's events came flowing back. She then jerked as one particular recollection struck her.

"Tynave…?"

"What is it, Farleen?"

"We… we are going to get punished because of this… right?"

The blonde woman bowed her head. Ever since returning from the facility, the commander hadn't talked with her. She hadn't had the nerve to try to talk to the commander, either. She was afraid, because she knew she was guilty, and punishment was inevitable. Just when Tynave thought about that, the door behind her opened. The figure behind the door made Tynave jerked as if struck just by looking at _her_.

"L-lady Yvikka!" The blonde spy jumped up her chair, hastily saluting the commander.

"At ease, soldiers. Miss Farleen, you need not salute, you're still hurt," said the dark haired commander.

Yvikka came in to the room, closed the door, and stood near the bed where Farleen was. The two spies' jaws were clenched shut at the presence of the commander, for no one dared to speak. They didn't know what to do, or even expect from this person. Had it been Nel, they knew that the redhead would give them a harsh reprimand as well as a detention order for such disobedience.

"How do you feel, Miss Farleen?" The dark haired asked as she got near the woman on the bed.

"I-I'm fine, Lady Yvikka…"

The commander smiled slightly at the answer, and then turned to the blonde spy, "And how about you, Miss Tynave? I see that you're very much battered as well."

"I-I'm fine as well, Lady Yvikka…"

Yvikka let out a smile at the two spies. She then took another chair, dragged it near the bed, and sat. Silence claimed the room. Over time, Tynave would steal a glance at the commander. She knew that the dark haired woman had something else to say, and she was sure that 'that' something would be nothing else than the orders for their punishment. The commander opened her lips, apparently wanting to say something, but before her voice could even come out, the blonde woman beside her spoke.

"It's my fault, Lady Yvikka… It was my idea to go to the training facility. I… the blame is all on me."

"Tynave…!" The woman in the bed protested, "How could you take… the blame… all by yourself? I thought… we're in this… together," garnet eyes then turned to meet jet black ones, "Lady Yvikka… I… have supported her in this. I, too… have the responsibility."

"Please let me speak."

The commander's answer silenced the other two women. A sigh came from the dark haired woman, and then another smile, and then, her voice.

"I want to say I'm sorry…"

The two women were dumbfounded by the apology. They realized that they were at fault, and the dark haired woman had nothing to do with it.

"Had I returned earlier…" The commander continued, "We should have been able to plan a more coordinated effort, and such hardships and casualties would not need to have ensued. That Miss Farleen got wounded, that is my fault as well. I guess I'm not that good of a commander to you for you to act on your own."

"… Lady Yvikka…"

"Anyway, don't worry about feeling guilty," the dark haired soldier cut in, "The fact that you two returned alive is atonement enough for your disobedience. Furthermore, the time you're going to spent resting in your room will compensate for the detention period."

The commander then stood, and walked toward the door. As she got to the door, she turned to the two women once again, "I'm going to need your strength in the coming days. Until then, please take a good rest so that you can have your strength back when it's needed."

With those words, the commander left the room, leaving the two spies in silence.

"Why…Tynave?"

"What?"

"Why do you always… protect me? It's like that day… I told you to jump out of the wagon before me… and you refused, and so we were caught together… Today, you shielded me many times… and even wanted to… take the blame all by yourself… Just… why?"

Tynave answered in silence. A faint, sad smile was on her face.

---

Yvikka was walking along the corridor to her room when Sisera greeted her.

"How does it go, commander?"

"What do you mean?"

"Them," the aide answered with a gesture pointing at the room her commander had come out of before.

"They're fine. A bit exhausted, though."

"Oh, right."

It was not what the brunette wanted to speak to her commander about. The dark haired woman saw it in the amber eyes, a hint of question. Her aide was the kind of person who got straight to the point, but she could be timid at times when trying to express something. Yvikka had known that for a long time, so it was not all that strange.

"So, is there something you want to talk me about… or maybe ask?"

"Uh, well…" The aide faltered. She knew her commander could easily read her.

"If you don't mind… commander. I was just wondering… just who… who are you really?" The aide managed, finally posing her question.

"Me?" The question surprised the other woman, "Of course, your commander."

"No, not that," the other woman shook her head, and turned to see the jet black depths of the commander's eyes, "You're not like a mere 'soldier' or 'commander'. You're more like a runologist, or maybe more, with all of the spells you showed back there in the facility. What's more, you could even tell that Tynave and Farleen were up above us as we stepped into the fortress. I take it that… you sensed their flow of runology, right?"

"Alright, Sisera, I'll tell you," the dark haired woman smiled, giving up at her aide's observation, "I was born in a family of runologists, is that enough?"

The aide went silent at the answer. Though the words came along with a smile from the lips that had spoken them, the tone behind the voice gave a warning enough that the other woman was not in the feel to discuss the matter any further.

---

Castle Aquaria, audience chamber.

Laselle walked toward her queen bringing a hunk of paper and books with him. The queen saw him, and then gestured, giving permission to speak.

"Your Majesty, I looked into our history records about the Yrsenlaf lineage, as per your request," the magistrate spoke solemnly, as always.

"What was the result?"

"It is indeed true that Yrsenlaf lineage has ever been counted among the kingdom's servants. But the most surprising fact is that the Yrsenlafs were also among the most venerated of the runologists. Their deeds include their involvement in the forging of one of our royal treasures, the Blades of Ryusen, as well as some research in the subject of runology-instilled weapons used by our Crimson Blades. Even some of our most respected servants, such as the Lasbards and the Zelphers learned from them."

"The Yrsenlafs… 'were'?" The queen asked with a slight confusion.

"Yes… 'were', because since the reign of Her Majesty Aquaria XXIV, the last of the Yrsenlafs to serve the kingdom resigned from servitude. No other Yrsenlafs have ever been recorded since."

"What was the cause?"

"It says here that…" Laselle looked down at one of the books he was carrying before continuing, "… It says that there was an accident in one of the runological research projects led by one of the Yrsenlafs, by the name of Riege san Yrsenlaf. He survived the accident, but lost several colleagues there. Though Her Majesty Aquaria XXIV didn't blame him for that, he resigned from servitude as a token of his responsibility nevertheless."

"I see…" The queen sighed, "But one point I don't understand; why would this Yrsenlaf chose to serve in the military? Had she come here, she would surely have been recognized and welcomed as a runologist."

"That, I do not know. However, we can't be sure that Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf is truly one of the inheritors of the Yrsenlafs as of yet."

The queen bowed her head, thinking. As she brought her head up again, her lips voiced a command.

"Resume the recording of the Yrsenlafs' history. Add Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf to it."

"But… Your Majesty," the magistrate protested, "With all due respect, how can you be so sure?"

"I am sure of it. She is one of the Yrsenlafs' heirs."

_If she isn't, then what else could explain the flow of power I've sensed on her as she kneeled before me?_


	7. Skirmish

Disclaimers # 1: Star Ocean names, characters, and all of its related articles are not mine. They are the rightful properties of Square-Enix's. The properties I can claim ownership here are my OCs.

Disclaimers # 2: This fanfiction is based on another fanfiction titled Two Soldiers: Fire and Ice authored by Artemis' Bow, so don't be confused if you find that the plots of my and Artemis' story cross at some points. If you are new to this story, I highly recommend you to read Artemis' Two Soldiers as well if you want to get a better grasp to this story. A very special thanks to Artemis' Bow, for her approval and support have made this fic possible. If you like this story, part of the credit shall goes to her.

Author's Note: For those who care… I want to apologize for the (very) lengthy update. I was kind of ill that I couldn't write for a while. However then, I'm back now, and I can (finally) upload this chapter. Still, readers, I do hope if you'll be kind enough to leave reviews. Please review, for I need to know your opinion about this story. I welcome critics, though nonsensical flame will be more than likely to be laughed at.

And lastly… please read, and enjoy. Happy reading.

**The Third Soldier: Another Heart**

**Chapter 6**

**Skirmish**

Yvikka climbed up the manor's stairs at a rapid pace. Following behind her was the crimson-haired Nel Zelpher, who had just recently returned to the town. Upon her return, the first thing the redhead had asked about was the well-being of her friend, Clair Lasbard. And now the dark haired commander was guiding Nel to the room where Clair was being treated.

The high priestess, the one who'd attended Clair, greeted them at the door with a dark look on her face. Her expression turned even darker as she looked at Nel. The redhead seemed to be oblivious to it, but the other commander knew what that meant. She knew that there must be something wrong.

The doctor stood in front of the door in silence, unable to speak in the face of the two commanders. She then moved away from the door, revealing the sight behind her…

Dead silence covered the world.

Clair was still on the bed, but her face was covered with a white cloth.

The mark of a person who had just passed away.

Yvikka looked at the body on the bed with utter disbelief. She swore that she had seen the silver haired woman alive just a few hours ago, but now…

For a moment, her heart and mind blanked. She didn't know what to feel or even think.

Nel came to her friend's side, taking the white cloth away from her face, calling Clair's name. At first, it was only a weak, soft call that was barely a whisper. However, it soon grew more and more desperate and miserable. So great was the pain in Nel's voice as she called for her friend that it pained its audience as well.

"I'm sorry, Lady Yvikka…" The high priestess said to the dark haired commander, her voice cracking, "We can't save her…"

"You…" Nel's voice cut through the other woman's in a sharp growl. The voice, which had been desperate and sad, was now heavy with anger and anguish.

"Why… why can't you help her?" Nel growled again, a look of hatred directed at the high priestess.

"I'm sorry… Lady Nel," the doctor answered, "We have done our best, but still—"

"'I'm sorry'! Is that all you can say after all this!" Nel snapped harshly.

The redhead then stepped closer at the doctor. A dangerous light was in her eyes. The other commander saw Nel's hand moving to the hilt of one of her daggers. Quickly, Yvikka stepped forward, shielding the priestess from whatever was to come.

"Lady Nel, please calm down," the dark haired woman said, "If you want to blame someone, then blame me instead."

Nel didn't answer. Instead, she grabbed the hilt of her dagger conspicuously, without even caring about being noticed. Something inside her dared the dark haired soldier to move first, grabbing the redhead by her wrist, preventing the hand attached to it from drawing the blade.

"Let go!" Nel cried angrily.

"Please, Lady Nel! Snap out of it!"

Nel's other hand then moved to the other dagger, but the other soldier grabbed it as well. The two commanders struggled; one trying to draw her weapons for anything but a good cause, while the other strove to prevent it. Eventually, the dark haired soldier lost her one of her holds as Nel kneed her hard in her chest. Having freed one of her hands, Nel grabbed the hand still holding her other wrist, and, with practiced ease, floored the soldier before her. The image of the drawn daggers flashed before jet-black eyes. In an instant, Yvikka's soldier's reflexes took over; her hand dashed for her own sword, drawing it…

Blood flew.

---

"**NOO!"**

The formerly asleep commander jerked from her uneasy slumber with a cry. For a moment, Yvikka was just frozen there, gasping for breath, sweating heavily. As her awareness came flooding back, she realized that she was not in her bed, and was not even wearing a nightshirt. Instead, she'd fallen asleep on her chair with her head on the table while reading the day's reports, all the while still wearing her uniform and armor.

_Gods… not again…_

With that thought, the woman clutched her head, running her hands through her shiny black hair. Nightmares and all the other unpleasant forms of dreams took were an almost inevitable part of being a soldier, especially after seeing how people killed and were killed themselves, be it by other people or monsters. The commander was very much accustomed to having horrible dreams, but still, she wasn't immune to all of them, especially when particular people were involved in them.

Ever since the day Nel and Clair had 'gone', nightmares had hounded her like a plague. Almost every time she tried to sleep, she'd dream about either one or the other of the people she cherished most being found dead. Her dreams, however, were getting worse with every passing day. In one, she'd be in the Kirlsa Training Facility again, finding Shelby laughing over Nel's dead body while she herself was unable to do anything. In another, she would be with Nel in Clair's room, only to find that the silver haired runologist was dead and the redhead would kill her out of anger. In all honesty, Yvikka wouldn't mind taking the blame for Clair's death and dying by Nel's hand because of it. However, in other dreams, she saw the Crimson Blade killed herself, or even worse, she'd find herself killing Nel out of reflex instead—just like the one she had just now.

_How could I dream such a thing?_

_How could I draw my sword against her?_

_How could I kill her?_

The woman got up from her chair and walked toward the window of her room. From the look of the stars and the moon, she could tell that it was nearing daybreak, and the sun would rise in just a few more hours. She shifted, looking around the room, finding her sword leaning in one corner along with her other gear. The sight of her sword forced her to remember her most recent dream. She closed her eyes and sighed.

_Get a hold of yourself, Yvikka… never…_

_That would never happen…_

Nevertheless, the image of Clair's death sent shivers of fear and pain down her spine, and it made her feel uneasy.

_I've got to go see her…_

A little later, Yvikka was already in front of the door to Clair's room. The high priestess, who happened to be attending Clair at the moment, answered to the dark haired woman's knocks and call.

"Lady Yvikka?" The priestess asked gently, "What brings you here at this hour?"

"Forgive me for my impertinence, Your Eminence, but… but I want to see Lady Clair."

The devoted priestess smiled at the commander's timid response, and answered warmly, "You need not apologize, Lady Yvikka. Surely you have all the right to see her at any time. In fact, I also have the need to talk to you about Lady Clair, and I had wanted to discuss certain things with you personally."

The commander tensed at the doctor's words. The priestess gestured for her to come in to the room, and she complied. The two then took seats near the bed where Clair was. Silence followed almost immediately as the two women settled. As the dark haired woman glanced at the doctor, she found an expression of slight confusion was apparent on the priestess' face, warning her that whatever the doctor wanted to talk about might be far from good. Eventually, the priestess spoke up.

"I don't know where to begin with, Lady Yvikka, for I myself don't like it…" The priestess paused, trying to find a considerate way of telling the news, and then continued, "To tell the truth, milady… we have run out of options, given Lady Clair's current condition."

Yvikka clenched her jaws shut in the face of the priestess' words. The tone behind the sentence alarmed her. It was like hearing that all her worst fears and worries would truly be realized. All of a sudden, she felt something come down on her. It was anything but good. It was so great and immeasurable.

It was painful.

"W-what do you mean… Y-your Eminence?"

The priestess sighed deeply upon seeing the haunted look in the dark eyes, and answered, "We have tried everything… every method and form of medication that we know of, but none of them have yielded good results, not even a response," she paused, looking at Clair's limp form on the bed, and continued, "Furthermore, Lady Clair's physical condition is weakening with every passing day, which limits our options in treating her catatonic state."

The devoted doctor then leaned her body forward, looking deeply into the jet-black depths before her. Her voice came again.

"This is a hard decision, but… I have to discontinue all efforts in dealing with her catatonia. Right now, Lady Clair's physical condition is my main concern. I am afraid that Lady Clair will not hold on another week if we don't do something about it."

The dark haired woman froze. She could feel herself breaking apart at the mention of the clear probability of Clair's death. Even without the mention of that, the commander knew that the silver haired woman's condition had gotten worse, and death was well on its way to taking her. It was obvious just from the look of her. Clair had become so thin and pale. Her lips were dry, her breathing was weak and uneven. Her eyes were blank…

There were few, if any, signs of life about her, in both the physical and mental sense.

"W-what is her 'real' condition, actually?" Yvikka managed. Her voice trembled with constrained emotion.

"Her body suffers from malnutrition and dehydration right now, because she hasn't been able to eat or drink for quite a time. I know this sounds cruel, but we will have to start attempting to… force water down her throat, as well as some liquid food. We will also resort to using restoration runes to keep her body functioning for the time being."

_Forcing water and food into her body… using restoration runes…_

_Apris…_

_Is that how close she is to death?_

Though the doctor voiced the answer calmly and softly, Yvikka knew that she was desperate. The practices she'd mentioned were last resorts to keep someone alive.

"Is there… still any hope… of her recovery?"

The high priestess sighed, and answered.

"To be totally honest, Lady Yvikka… At this point, we can only hope for a miracle."

---

Only moments later, the commander had returned to her room. Her conversation with the high priestess had left nothing but shadows of uncertainty and pain. The images of the silver haired woman claimed every corner of her mind. It pained her, knowing the very person she was thinking of was in there dying on her bed, and she could do nothing to help. But then, something else was behind it, and it burst out of her control. In fact, she felt that _everything_ had gone out of her control. As she got into her room, she closed the door and leaned her back against it.

Struggling.

_Get a grip, Yvikka…_

_But on what?_

_Or to whom…? Lady Clair is…_

The questions of her own mind startled her. Before she could even answer it, another question came, followed rapidly by a realization, and with it, denial. Everything just spilled out by itself.

_Lady Clair…? What is Lady Clair to me, actually? It's like…Why…?_

_Is this…_

_No! It cannot be! Never!_

_Liar!_

_I'm not!_

_Oh yes you are!_

_QUIET!_

…

The cry of the third party between the warring factions of her heart stopped the thought. As she tried to get her thought into some manageable form, she found herself wandering into the past, back to her training days.

Into a day of turmoil, a day when she had lost a loved one.

**(Flashback)**

"Noo! No, please, no… d-don't kill me, please…"

The Glyphian knight shrieked as he fell to sitting position on the ground, weaponless. Before him was the teenage Yvikka. Her dark eyes cast an ice-cold look at him.

Cold as death.

Just a moment ago she was still with her friends, patrolling a region said to be relatively safe near the front. One of her companions was someone whom the dark haired girl dared admit was her beloved. They had been talking about the possibility of their parting, for they might be assigned to different legions once they finished their training.

However, a Glyphian ambush had parted them for good, even before their positions were assigned.

The party of trainees fought in defense of their lives. Though the Aquarians had the advantage of numbers, the element of surprise as well as their lack of experience took a heavy toll on them. In the end, the desperate battle left only Yvikka, and the last of the Glyphian knights. Both were wounded with no hope of immediate support.

And now, she was standing over the knight, who was begging for mercy.

"Look… I-I'm sorry… I'm sorry for your friends, okay? Just… don't kill me!" The Glyphian cried rather openly by now.

"I don't want to die… mercy, please, I beg of you."

Yvikka didn't answer. She stepped closer at the cowed knight, slowly raising her sword.

_You're sorry, huh?_

_Tell that to my friends… to him… from hell!_

"NOO!"

The Glyphian's cry ended abruptly as Yvikka thrust her sword deep into his throat. The last of the Glyphians had perished, and she lived. It might mean another victory for Aquaria, but not for her. She felt incredibly empty all of a sudden. She knew that her beloved had been avenged, but that fact left her with nothing else to do.

She had lost the one whom she'd be willing to devote her life to, and with that, her anchor.

She had lost her purpose in living.

As if in a trance, she turned and searched among the bodies of her fellow soldiers. Her wounded body failed her before she could find the thing she was looking for, but she didn't stop. Crawling on her belly, she continued her search. After some time, she came to one body. As she wiped the blood streaked face, she knew she'd found _him_—her beloved. With an effort, she mustered every ounce of strength left within her weak body and cradled the other body close to her. Her consciousness faded not long after.

…

She didn't know how long she had been in the darkness. As she became aware of her surroundings, she saw men and women clad in Aquarian attire around her, and then shouting came close to her ears.

"She's alive! Captain Lasbard! We have survivor here!"

She couldn't hear the next sentence clearly, but the next moment, she saw a silver-haired female soldier approach her. As the woman paced closer, her gentle pale brown eyes were fixed on the jet black ones. Her gentle voice came.

"Soldier, can you hear me?"

When Yvikka didn't answer the question, the silver haired soldier—apparently the one whom they called 'Captain Lasbard'— scanned her battered body, finding a deep wound in her midsection. Pale brown eyes tracked back to the black ones.

"You're wounded," the voice came again, this time with a touch of worry, "Easy, soldier, don't move. I'll try to heal it."

While the silver haired woman was healing the wound, her eyes shifted, getting a look at the body next to the wounded soldier, the body the dark haired soldier had been clinging to in an almost desperate embrace. The captain sighed, shifting her gaze back to the soldier before her, and asked.

"Your friend?"

The dark haired soldier could not decide whether to nod in approval, or just shake her head in denial. Eventually, she shook her head. Her voice came in a pain-laden whisper.

"… More… than friend…"

The brown eyes before her became sad in response. The captain's voice came again in a sincere, caring tone.

"… I'm sorry…"

The captain then continued her efforts to heal the wound. Over time, Yvikka saw the captain stealing glances over her, as if wanting to ensure that she was all right. Somehow, the caring eyes of the captain soothed some of her pain. She didn't know why, but she had the feeling that she could trust this woman. As the dark haired soldier was thinking, she was suddenly pulled upright and wrapped in a warm embrace. The silver haired captain hugged her with such care and warmth, and with it, comfort.

"Be strong, soldier…" The captain whispered gently, "I know that losing dear ones is hard, but…"

The captain released the embrace. Her pale brown eyes pierced the jet black ones.

"… You can't stay like this. You can't stop living, because if you do, it would be the same as if you had died, and…" the captain paused, looked at the body beside the other soldier, and continued, "I don't know what he is to you, but I am sure that… he wants you to live, I'm sure of it. No one in this world would want their dear ones to die, right?"

"…!" Yvikka could only grunt in the face of the captain's words. She knew it was true... very true.

"Live, soldier! You have to live. Even if you stop being a soldier after this, don't stop living. Live, for the sake of those dear to you."

"… Live…" The young dark haired soldier muttered with cracking voice. The captain's words gave her a whole new purpose to keep living. The lingering pain of losing her beloved, as well as the grateful joy of finding her life back caused her to burst out in tears, cries, and sobs. She cried. Without her even realizing it, she released the hand of the dead body beside her, and cradled the silver haired woman before her. The captain's soft whisper came again.

"That's it soldier… live… Let it all go… Let the past be the past…"

**(End of flashback)**

Though the event had taken a heavy toll on her, she had managed to finish her training period. A few months after that, her assignment to the Shield Legion came. She'd served there as a squad captain for a year and then became Clair's aide. Though Clair seemed to not recognize her, Yvikka did recognize her silver haired savior.

_Lady Clair… You have become my anchor ever since. I am forever indebted to you…_

_No, I might have even…_

… _fallen in love with you…?_

Yvikka smiled at the memory and the admission. All of a sudden, her admission made everything seem to make sense to her. It calmed her somehow, which made her think that denying it was no longer an option. She inhaled one long, deep breath, diving into the peace the thought had given.

_I vowed to not get too deeply involved in such emotional bonds with fellow soldiers ever since that day, but I failed to realize… that I'm already in one… with you…_

_That's right… I'm a fool, and a liar to myself. Now I know what it is that hurts so much…_

_I want… I want to repay the debt… I want to make you happy… I want to be able to protect you, and all those who are dear to you… I want to help you, just like you helped me, but…_

_But I don't know how! I'm not Lady Nel!_

…

As she was thinking about her feelings and that particular red-haired woman, another realization came to her.

_Could it be… that you're in love as well, Lady Clair?_

_You're in love with Lady Nel… could it be true? Is that what has driven you to the condition you're in?_

No matter how hard the commander tried to think otherwise, it just seemed indisputable. It was made even more so as she recalled the days when Nel and Clair had been together, and she had been there to see it.

_They were so happy in the company of each other. They talked, laughed, and smiled more, and even Lady Nel…_

… _was not as 'cold' as others describe her…_

_They don't seem like they're just 'best friends'…_

The commander then gave up any thoughts of trying to find the right 'label' for the two commanders. She realized it was futile, because she had had a taste of how 'best friends' could become so much more than that. She closed her eyes, trying to put herself in the 'now', where she was needed. As she was thinking about it, she felt a surge of pity for Clair.

_Ironic…_

It was an irony, for Clair had managed to get her out of a nearly-similar situation, but the very same Clair was now lost deep within her grief for her beloved, not at all unlike the dark haired woman would have been had Clair not been there for her.

_If there would be any miracle, then that would be Lady Nel's return._

With the conclusion of the thought, the commander straightened. She took her sword and readied herself for the day.

_I have to look for her!_

_You'd better be alive when I find you, Nel Zelpher, or I'll never forgive you!_

The devoted commander did not have the chance to do just that, for some particular reports reached her that early morning.

---

"At ease, soldiers," the commander said, beginning the briefing with her soldiers, "I have just received news from the Secret Legion operatives in Airyglyph, as well as some additional information from Count Woltar."

The captains in her room stirred as she mentioned the news. Their eyes locked onto the commander, wondering. The commander then resumed her speech.

"This information from our operatives says that the majority of the anti-alliance movement within Airyglyph has subsided. King Airyglyph has successfully managed to repress the movement of the warmongers, and they are certain that it's just a matter of time before the warmongers lose their power completely."

Cheering followed as the commander finished her sentence. Yvikka could understand why the soldiers were happy, for she knew that the news was indeed the first good news they'd heard throughout these tense days. However, that was not the entirety of the news.

"However," the commander spoke again, her voice breaking through the cheering, effectively bringing everyone to silence, "Airyglyph hasn't been successful in capturing their military deserters, as well as the paramilitary parties. The last we heard about these Glyphian rogues, they have already been organized at the border. It is quite possible that they have entered our territory by now, so as to avoid the Glyphian patrols. As their leaders in Airyglyph have been contained, we can say that they are very much cut off from support. Still, there's no telling what they will do or are capable of doing when they're cornered. They are still… a threat."

"Do you want us to conduct a search and destroy operation, commander?" A captain asked, rather enthusiastically.

"Don't be hasty," another captain rebutted, "We don't have a figure of their strength. Moreover, if I'm not mistaken, there are Dragon Brigade members among the deserters. I suggest we carry out a recon operation, locate the whereabouts of the rogues, estimate their strength, and only then can we figure out the best way to wipe them out."

"We do have the raw figure of their strength," said the commander. The words silenced the room once again. All pairs of eyes were directed at the dark haired commander.

"Count Woltar is kindly willing to share it with us. He has done a census of the soldiers in the Glyphian military, which lead to some estimation of the number of the deserting soldiers and knights."

"Uh… that information is from Airyglyph, right, Lady Yvikka?" Asked a soldier.

"Well, double the number if you're doubtful," the commander answered the doubtful soldier, and went on, "Anyway, Count Woltar's estimation is that there are around 100-150 deserting soldiers. Most of them are from Black Brigade, others are just common soldiers, and few more are from the Storm Brigade. As for the Dragon Brigade… it's a bit hard to determine, for there are just too many of their dragons that were left riderless since the battle with the celestial ship. There are at least four to five of them that deserted their posts, along with their dragons. If that number is combined with the paramilitary parties' strength, we can expect a force of around 300 to 400 armed men."

"Four hundred men? It's a joke. We can simply outnumber them and crush them in the open," a captain commented.

"But those air dragons can make a difference. One of them could be worth ten of us, maybe more if we are not careful."

"Exactly. That's why a simple search and destroy mission won't do any good, especially in the open field where the dragons can easily spot us and sweep down on us from the air," the commander commented, "That is why if we're to do battle with them, we must first incapacitate the dragons, or fight them from closed spaces where the dragons don't have the room to maneuver."

A captain sighed, leaning his body forward, and spoke. "Have you any plan to deal with them? We don't have the Thunder Arrow with us anymore, which means battling the dragons will be difficult."

"Yes, here," Yvikka answered calmly while laying a large map on the table, "With such a small force, a surprise attack will be the best option for them. Their best scenario will be having their dragons occupy our forces inside the wall, while their infantry will attempt to break our gates and enter the town. My plan is that we hide some of our soldiers, a company of 200, here." The commander then pointed at one point in the map.

"That's the secret passage to the Granah Hills… are you really sure that 200 men would fit there unnoticed from the air?"

"I think so," Chloe, a soldier who'd come with Yvikka to the secret passage spoke up, "As long as we are not bunched up together, we will be unnoticed, even from the air."

"Alright, let me continue… This small force will be poised to strike at the Glyphian rogues' rear line should they manage to reach the Southwestern gate. This should buy some time for the force inside the wall to reorganize before the gate is truly breached. They will be signaled, either by smoke or flares from Arias. The idea is that we avoid fighting in the open as much as possible, as their air dragons have a clear advantage over us there. Even if we do have to fight them in the open, we have to move quickly, and mingle ourselves with their own forces to minimize casualties by the air dragons."

"A pincer… clever. This way, we also have the element of surprise with us."

"Assuming that they attack us from the Aire Hills, this plan is fine, but what if they come at us from the mountain path?"

"Not a chance," said Ersa, "The mountain path to the Northwest is even rougher and more dangerous, as the fiends there are more vicious. Not to mention that they have to pass the Bequerel Mine, where we have many Secret Legion operatives watching. They'll be spotted long before they could reach here."

"Your plan sits well with me, Lady Yvikka," a captain voiced his confidence to the plan with a smile, "I cannot wait for the order. Just say the word."

"The Shield Legion runological corps is at your service, milady," a runologist lifted up her voice with utter confidence. Other captains followed suit, voicing their agreement.

Yvikka smiled sadly at the sight before her. In all honesty, she was happy that the soldiers seemed to be so high-spirited. On the other hand, she was also sad, for she knew that the plan of looking for Nel would have to wait.

For how long, she didn't know…

---

The commander had expected that if the rogues really did have the intention of attacking Arias, they would make use of the 'time tactic'—holding back from attacking for a time, waiting for their adversary to be worn down by the tension. It turned out, however, that the rogues just didn't have that much time. Just a few days later, early in one cloudy morning, one of her patrols returned shortly after they were deployed, running. Their yell broke the tranquility of the morning.

"Open the gate! Open the gate!"

The soldiers on guard at the gate saw that the ones yelling for the open gate were some of their fellows, so they complied. As soon as the running party got inside the wall, the gate was closed again. Yvikka met them almost immediately.

"What happened?"

"T-the rogues…" The lead soldier of the group answered between pants, "… they're coming here. They… could be here… at any moment."

The commander went tense at the news, and then looked at her aide beside her. Apparently, the aide had understood whatever her commander was about to say, even before it was worded. The brunette went and blew the horn, alerting the other soldiers.

"Situation?" The dark haired commander asked again, for the soldiers before her had managed to get their breath back.

"A small force of around 300. Around half of them are mounted… we also saw archers and makeshift battering rams with them."

"How about air dragons?"

"We didn't see a—"

"Air dragons!" Cried a soldier from the watchtower, as if answering the commander's last question, "Air dragons are coming! Get to cover everyone!"

In that brief moment, Arias was kicked into life all of a sudden. Soldiers and runologists raced into the streets to get to their positions, while the noncombatants were directed to shelters. Only seconds after the warning, six Glyphian air dragons swarmed the skies of Arias. One of them dove at one of the watchtowers, breathing fire at it, burning the soldiers inside. Yvikka drew a gasp as she saw burned bodies jumping off the blazing watchtower. She had seen air dragons in action before, but not very often.

And not so close.

Just as she had predicted, the air dragons could only do little damage in a shelter-laden complex such as a town. As the Aquarian soldiers got themselves into their shelters, the dragons could do them no harm. Being in a shelter, however, made it so the Aquarians couldn't counterattack, either. One of the dragons dove down to the streets, apparently trying to maneuver itself in the small space among the structures, but was greeted by a hail of arrows almost immediately. The dragons then flew away after burning a few houses and several watchtowers, but the commander knew that they would be coming back. As the dragons left, soldiers came out of their shelters, continuing the effort to reorganize themselves led by their captains.

"Infantry to the Aire Hills!" Cried a watchman from the ladder of his burning watchtower.

"Prepare the red flares… NO!" The commander exclaimed between her orders as she saw several of her Chain Legion soldiers going up the rampart in preparation to greet the oncoming land forces. They might just be doing what that they'd been taught in their training, but their lack of experience made them fail to realize that people standing on the rampart were easy targets for an air raid. Yvikka realized that, and she braced herself to run out of the shelter and warn her soldiers.

"Get down from there! Not one standing in the rampart! Get down! Get—"

She was too late. Two air dragons, partly hidden by the low-hanging clouds, swooped down on the soldiers on the rampart. Yvikka watched helplessly as she saw her men take the raw beatings of the Glyphian's most feared brigade. Several more young lives fell, and the sight of that was a warning enough for the others, and they quickly went down the rampart. One of the Chain Legion captains who'd been on the rampart went up to the commander.

"Commander, they're already near to the wall. If we can't get men up that rampart, they will be in here once they can deploy their ladders!"

Yvikka looked up at the walls in response. Her captain was right. She could clearly see that ladders were being deployed by the rogues on the other side. As her eyes went on the sturdy wooden rampart, she remembered something she'd read in one of Clair's logbooks. She then turned back, finding one of the Shield Legion captains beside her.

"Captain Adrian!" The commander called the captain.

"Ma'am!"

"I heard that this wooden rampart is collapsible, can we bring it down now?"

The captain went silent as if trying to recall something. He then looked at the rampart, which was already filled by dozens of the Glyphian rogues, and then at the dark haired woman again, a broad grin on his face.

"Got it, ma'am! I'll bring it down right away!" With the words, the captain went away, taking several soldiers with him.

It felt like eternity to wait for something to happen. The rogues went down the rampart with little trouble, as there was no one defending it. Yvikka and the other soldiers had already been engaged by the oncoming rogues when they heard a loud creaking sound coming from the wall. It turned out that the rampart's supports had started to collapse on their own. As the rampart lost its supports, the wooden pathway around the wall, which was usually used as footing for archers and soldiers defending the rampart, went down by itself, along with the dozens of rogues on it. The heavy rampart fell down on the fighting men. The Aquarian veterans, who were familiar with the tactic, had already pulled their fellow soldiers back to a safe zone; effectively leaving the fallen rampart to fall only on the rogues.

_Lady Clair… you're a genius. Now I see why it was so hard for the Glyphians to take this town._

The dark haired commander watched the scene unfolding before her with awe, especially with the knowledge that Clair was the one behind the idea of making that kind of rampart.

Having lost the rampart, the attacker's options of breaching the town were now limited to smashing the gate and raining down arrows on the defenders. Yvikka could hear the gate being smashed from the other side, and she knew that it was time.

"Deploy the red flares!"

At the command, a volley of bright red flares lit up the sky. They were so bright that Yvikka thought that the flares could be seen from Peterny. Her dark eyes watched the flares as they went up to the peak. As the flares came down again, the dark eyes shifted to a particular scene, stunned.

Smoke.

Smoke came from the direction of the manor where Clair was. Several air dragons could be seen circling around the area as well. Yvikka's worries for her dear superior kicked in, and she moved her feet, running as fast as she could to the manor.

It turned out that the manor was still standing, barely scathed thanks to the protection runes inscribed on it, as well as the ring of brave runologists guarding it. It was the house next to the manor that was burning. Yvikka was truly relieved to see that, but her relief didn't last long. As she was halfway back to the front where she was needed, she saw one of the dragons dive at an unmistakable figure, striking it down with a blow from the rider's lance. A name tore out of the commander's lips.

"SISERA!"

The brunette soldier was lying helplessly on the open ground, but there was obviously still life in her. The dragon knight who'd struck her before had turned back to her, ready to deliver the killing blow. Once again, the dragon dove…

"Wind! Come forth!"

A runological symbol flashed from the commander's hand, and the air around Sisera shifted. A strong gale went under the diving dragon's wings, causing the dragon to tumble from its intended course, away from the wounded soldier. The slight but abrupt alteration to the dragon's flight path was enough to send the dragon and the knight crashing into one of the abandoned houses. So great was the impact that the house was completely destroyed, leaving the dragon and the knight buried under the heavy mass of bricks and rubble, never to rise again.

Sisera looked at the figure of her commander running toward her. All too suddenly, her amber eyes caught another figure behind the commander. With an effort, she suppressed the pain of her wounds and forced a yell out.

"B… BEHIND YOU…!"

The dark haired soldier stopped herself and turned around at the aide's warning. There she saw another air dragon, already in its attack posture, with its rider's lance on her. Dark eyes went to the oncoming dragon, then to Sisera, and then to the dragon again. Not having the time to cast another spell, the commander knew that she had to choose between her aide and herself, as she was the only thing that stood between the lance and her aide. The decision was made in the next second.

The lance came in an arc, and Yvikka took it.

Pain ripped through the left side of the commander's ribcage and her left shoulder at the contact. The lance struck her squarely in her armpit, making a nasty sound of broken bones. Though she managed to avoid being struck by the lance's sharp point, it does not guarantee that the wound would be less lethal. The strength with which the lance was swung, combined with the dragon's speed as it dove at its target was force enough to inflict a mortal wound, if not death. It was so powerful that the commander, the lance stuck in her armpit, was carried away with the lance as the dragon climbed up again.

The commander felt her vision blur and her hands lose their strength. Her grip on the lance eventually weakened, and then was lost completely. However, in that brief moment of holding the lance, she had managed to cast one simple spell she hoped would bring the dragon knight down.

_Lightning blast._

Just before the dark haired woman fell, a jolt of electricity made its way up the steel lance, on to the hand of the one who was holding it.

Sisera watched in an utter disbelief as she saw her commander deliberately take the lance for her. Her commander's decision had shocked her so greatly that she couldn't speak, could not even cry. Horrible events unfolded before the amber eyes. Just before she saw her commander fall from the lance, the dragon rider's body flashed, and then was thrown off his saddle all of a sudden, smashing back to the earth. She then pushed herself upright. Ignoring her wounds, she ran in the direction of where she believed her commander had landed. The commander's name came out from her lips in a torn voice.

Yvikka felt as if her body was in pieces. She'd fallen first onto the roof of a house before she'd landed back on earth. She tried to move, but even a slight jerk was all too painful. She could feel something moving inside her as she tried to move. It appalled her as images of whatever it was came to her slowly fading mind. As she started to lose her awareness of her surroundings, she felt strong arms wrap around her. A blur of a figure came into her line of sight. She could see a flesh-colored blur and dark gray one, which she quickly recognized as the color of a soldier's uniform. She came to fully recognize the person above her as the soldier spoke.

"Hang in there, commander…"

_Sisera…_

The wounded commander tried to speak, but something obstructed her voice. She coughed from the attempt at speaking, only to taste blood gushing out of her throat. Blood came trickling down her lips.

"Save your strength, commander. Don't try to talk or move."

"… You… okay?" Yvikka asked her aide as she managed to clear her throat, not heeding the other's words.

"I'm fine, but you're not. Stay here, and don't move. I'll try to find help."

The aide then laid the wounded commander gently back on the ground. Just as she was about to leave, the commander tugged her arm weakly. The brunette turned at the weak pull, the dark eyes she looked into clearly saying that the other soldier had more to say.

"Take… over… command…" Yvikka paused, coughing, vomiting blood flooding from her throat. The pain she felt slowly faded, consumed by the cold wave of numbness. She could no longer feel most of her limbs. With an effort, she continued her words.

"… Clair… Arias… take… care…"

Sisera nodded painfully at her commander's words. For a moment, she forgot about looking for a doctor. She wrapped her arms around the other woman's slowly cooling body, running a hand across the commander's blood-streaked face, finding a deep gash from the temple down to the cheek. Yvikka's questions the other day echoing in her mind.

"_Say, Sisera… were I gone at a time like this, what would you do?"_

"_That is one way to do things if I were away, but what if I were dead or missing?"_

On that day, she hadn't been able to answer them, but now, the answers were needed.

"I will… I will do it, commander, just don't leave now… Promise me that you'll take the lead again…"

Yvikka smiled faintly at her aide's response. She wished that she could say otherwise, or just lie, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She knew her body well; so well that she realized that her chances were slim.

"That… can't… promise…"

"Don't say that, Yrsenlaf!" The aide burst out into tears rather openly now, gingerly cradling her commander close to her, "You're going to live, Yvikka, you're going to survive… just… hang… on…"

The dark haired woman could not speak anymore. Darkness had come closer to her. All she could do now was look. She could not feel anything in the physical sense, much less move. Another wave of pain flooded her chest. A wave of regret and anger at herself filled her.

_Damn… nothing again…_

_I… I can't move… can't do anything anymore… I can't if I die!_

_I'll regret it if I die now, but…_

_I can't… fight it…_

_It's… getting dark…_

Before the last vestige of her awareness fell, she glanced over at her aide one more time. Her last thoughts were a prayer, and an apology.

_Be strong, Sisera… May Apris be with you…_

_Lady Clair… Lady Nel… everyone… forgive me…_

---

Cheering could be heard as Arias defenders celebrated their victory. The pincer squad, dispatched by the flares from Arias, had managed to make a sneak attack on the Glyphian rogues. The force inside the wall followed up quickly by storming out of the gate, effectively surrounding the attacker. The remaining air dragons, seeing that there was no hope of victory, fled the region shortly after.

Not everyone celebrated, though.

The Chain Legion aide, Sisera, did not join the celebration, nor did her commander, Yvikka.


	8. The Unheard Promise

Disclaimers # 1: Star Ocean names, characters, and all of its related articles are not mine. They are the rightful properties of Square-Enix's. The only things I can claim ownership here are my OCs.

Disclaimers # 2: This fanfiction is based on another fanfiction titled Two Soldiers: Fire and Ice authored by Artemis' Bow, so don't be confused if you find that the plots of mine and Artemis' story cross at some points. If you are new to this story, I highly recommend you to read Artemis' Two Soldiers as well if you want to get a better grasp to this story. A very special thanks to Artemis' Bow, for her approval and support have made this fic possible. If you like this story, part of the credit shall goes to her.

Author's Note: For those who've been waiting for this chapter to come out, I'd like to express my deepest apologies for being too long. Many things came and went, preventing me from finishing this chapter sooner. While I'm on the topic, I also want to let you know that I'm going to have a big school project which is going to take my whole effort and energy for a whole month starting January. Because of that case, it is very likely that the next update will take time around February (yes, it's going to be another long wait again… TT). Anyway, just because the update is lengthy, it doesn't mean that I've given up on this. This story won't end before I say so.

For those who've reviewed this story, I'd also like to express my deepest gratitude. I'm still open to reviews and critics (I _want_ them, actually), so readers, please review this story.

Last but not least… Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and happy reading.

**The Third Soldier: Another Heart**

**Chapter 7**

**In the Light of Dawn, the Unheard Promise**

Sisera watched the break of the new day rather spiritlessly. Her amber eyes were dull and bloodshot. Her long brunette hair was a mess, matted and caked with blood, mud, and dirt from the day before. Tracks of dried tears, as well as blood and dirt were apparent on her face. She shifted from her position, feeling a light sting of pain from the wounds she'd sustained in the battle the day before. A healer had attended her wounds, so she didn't worry about it. In fact, she had her mind very much occupied with other things.

The brunette sighed, looking at the scars of the battle in front of her. There were several burned structures, among them houses, barns and watchtowers. In all honesty, it was not the structures that she was thinking about, but more importantly—life. Reports on the battle damage had found her earlier in the morning, telling her how many lives had been lost the day before, and how many others were struggling in the treatment chamber right now. The latter was what that had made the Chain Legion aide uneasy.

"Captain Sisera."

The aide turned at the voice, which was just starting to sound familiar in her ears. There, she saw Ersa, the Shield Legion commander's aide, a look of concern was in her eyes.

"Captain Sisera…" Ersa stalled, knowing the hardship which the other aide was trying to deal with, and managed softly, "Do you want me to do the briefing for this morning? You don't look too well."

"No, thank you," she replied, turning her gaze away from the other soldier, "I'm well enough… We'll do it… together."

Ersa sighed at the answer. The tremor behind the voice that carried the answer was so apparent that even she knew that the young captain before her was deeply troubled.

"You don't have to if you don't feel like it. I can understand that."

Sisera went silent at Ersa's words. She just stood there, trying to muster all that remains of her confidence and strength in an attempt to look all right, but failing. The harder she tried, the more painful it became. The battle the day before was not her first engagement in her soldiering days, but she was not a hardened war veteran. Young as she was, it was hard, if not unacceptable to lose her commander, the one whom she, as well as the rest of the legion, relied on.

Slim shoulders started to shake, and Ersa saw it. She stepped closer to the young captain, putting a hand on her one shoulder.

"You should take a rest, Sisera," Ersa said, intentionally dropping the 'captain' in order to be more intimate, as she knew the other aide might need some support, "It's fine… I can handle things here…"

Sisera still didn't answer, and Ersa had no intention of demanding her to. The older aide had had the taste of how it feels to lose a commander. Ersa recalled the time she had seen Clair Lasbard for the first time after the commander returned from Kirlsa. She had almost lost it and had been badly in need of support at that time. The Chain Legion aide before her was now in a similar situation, and she knew she had to help the other aide. Deciding that Sisera wouldn't want to look at her, Ersa stepped around to the front of the troubled young woman. For a moment, she just stood there, thinking of what kind of comfort she could give to the woman before her. Hesitantly, the older soldier did something her commander always did when speaking to distressed soldiers: she rested both hands on the other woman's shoulders, massaging them gently while trying to look into her eyes. Sisera bowed her head deeply, not allowing the contact. She didn't want to let the woman before her see her being weak. In times of crisis, she'd been strong, because Yvikka's stable, anchoring presence had been there with her. But now, she was alone.

"Look here, Sisera…" The veteran said softly, "It is fine to be weak or distressed. Everyone here knows how this feels. Losing Lady Nel, Lady Clair, and now… Lady Yvikka, is a severe blow for us all, for you… I can understand, but don't bottle your feelings up. If you feel that you're distressed, get over it. Release it and don't hold back. If you want to be alone in doing so, I'll gladly give you the time and space to do so. If you need someone…"

Ersa stalled again. Comforting a family member, or a friend, was one thing, but comforting a person who was nearly a total stranger was another matter entirely. She remembered that during the war, Nel and Clair's fame had been quite an encouragement for the soldiers, but sometimes, fame alone hadn't been enough. Every time they'd been discouraged, Nel and Clair had been there for them, encouraging the captains in the briefings, and sometimes, talking personally to the soldiers, no matter who they were. This was one aspect of leadership which she had seen many, many times from Clair and Nel, and sometimes Yvikka, yet, she personally had never done it before. However, she decided that now was the time to do it.

"… If you ever need someone to talk to… or anything… you can talk to me," Ersa managed, finally managing to state her willingness to be someone's comforter.

"… Really…?" The young captain answered the offer in a voice which was barely a whisper.

"Truly."

"… You… you won't laugh at me… for being…weak…?" Sisera whimpered, turning childish all of a sudden.

"I won't, I swear."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Though Sisera didn't say a word, Ersa felt the other woman's hands going around her, wrapping her in an almost desperate embrace. She returned the embrace, cradling the younger woman close to her. Tremors racked the slim body she was holding, followed by faint sobs. As if she were a child, Sisera rested her head on the older woman's breast, rubbing her face against the battle-torn uniform the other woman was still wearing, wetting it with tears.

"Just cry if you want to," Ersa whispered, "It's okay, I'm here."

Ersa felt the embrace tighten, grunting faintly as Sisera unwittingly pressed against one of her recently healed wounds. The pain mattered little for her right now. All she cared about was holding the lost soldier before her. The thought of her dark haired friend came to the veteran's mind, and she found herself pained at it as well.

Eventually, they were together in tears, trying to take courage in the few good things that they had, and shared in that moment.

---

Castle Aquios, conference room.

The news of the attack on Arias had reached the castle, and an emergency meeting was being held to discuss the steps to be taken. Though it was an emergency meeting whose decision could affect the whole kingdom, the meeting itself was small in scale. None but the queen, Aquaria XXVII, the magistrate, Laselle, two other magistrates of the lower echelon, and Chloe, who happened to be the messenger from Arias, attended the meeting.

"… In summary, our forces have succeeded in defending Arias with most of the attackers either killed or captured. Few of them managed to escape, but if the information regarding the rogues' strength we received from Count Woltar is true, we can confidently say that the escapees are not a threat anymore."

The room went silent as Chloe finished reporting the news she had brought. The queen was both contented and worried at the news. Contented, for she knew that Arias was still there, but she was also worried about the casualties of the battle. Before she could voice her worries, however, Laselle spoke up.

"Lady Chloe, is there any indication that Airyglyph is actually behind the attack?"

"No, or at least, we are not sure yet. The raiders were Glyphians, and some of them wore Glyphian military attributes. However, judging from their insignia, their units were haphazard and mixed up, so I'd say that they are the Glyphian deserters Count Woltar had mentioned. Moreover, their strategy was not a well-planned one and the equipment they were using was mainly makeshift ones that were barely fit for real battle. Therefore, Airyglyph may not have been behind the attack."

"'I'd say', you say? So you're assuming?" Laselle griped, "Lady Chloe, I believe that even you understand the complexity and the sensitivity of this matter. It is important that we respond immediately to such act, but we cannot base our action on a mere assumption. We need information. You have prisoners, right? Why weren't they interrogated before you came so we would have more than—"

Chloe was a veteran, but even she could not stand Laselle's edgy attitude anymore. It hit her last nerve, and her emotions went partially out of control. With a slam against the wooden table, the Secret Legion soldier cut in.

"With all due respect, my honored magistrate! Why don't you go and see our condition for yourself! Our soldiers have been at their lowest ebb since Lady Nel is gone and Lady Clair goes ill! And just yesterday, their morale was knocked down even lower because Lady Yvikka was mortally wounded in battle and is now dying! The highest ranked officers in command of Arias now are no more than captains, and they are now striving to keep the soldiers together! We have our hands full there!"

The soldier's words silenced the room once more. Even Laselle seemed to be at a loss of word in the face of that. Chloe sat back in her chair feeling slight remorse for yelling at the magistrate, but a larger part of her told her that the magistrate deserved it, negating the intention to apologize. Seeing that no one seemed to have the will to talk, the queen spoke up.

"Lady Chloe, what is Arias' condition now, actually?"

"The casualties… are minor compared to what we had ever had in the last war, as well as the battle damage to the town itself. But… the 'value' of those casualties is by no means low. That Lady Yvikka is wounded… it affects our morale greatly. Though we still have enough manpower, without a leader, our soldiers cannot function properly as an effective, combat-ready force. If we were to be attacked again now, Arias is more than likely to fall."

"I see. Very well."

The queen then bowed her head, deep in thought. Her servants around her had their eyes locked on her, waiting for her decision. After a time, which felt like eternity to most people in the room, the queen finally made her decision, which for some was startling.

"Arias is safe and there is no need to argue about it any more. For now, I want a message to be sent to King Airyglyph right away. Tell him that we have their deserters here, and demand that these criminals, for their impudent actions in our territory, be judged according to Aquarian law," the queen turned to Laselle, then voiced another direct order, "Laselle, prepare the Royal Guards. I want them to move the prisoners from Arias to Aquios. Also… prepare the royal convoy as well. I'll be going along to Arias."

Everyone gaped as the queen finished speaking. The last part of the decision was something that no one had ever thought about. Completely ignoring her servants' surprised reactions, the queen turned to the messenger from Arias.

"Lady Chloe, I believe that Arias needs many doctors and medicines right now. I'll see if I can bring some of them from here. For the time being, could you please list anything else that Arias needs? I'm going to prepare that as well."

Chloe, for her part, was still very much thunderstruck at the though of the queen coming to Arias, but she quickly recover herself as she saw the queen talking to her, and complied with the request with utter gratitude.

---

Aquaria XXVII looked at the list of needs Chloe had just written with a frown. She had expected that the town would need more than just the regular supplies, doctors, and medicines, but the list she was holding remained just that.

"Lady Chloe, are you really sure that this is all that Arias needs?"

"We haven't had the chance to do a proper checking of our condition… my apologies," was Chloe's answer.

The queen looked deeply at the exhausted soldier before her. It was apparent that the soldier had more to say, and she wanted to hear it. However, the queen also realized that the gap between their positions was a hindrance to that. Unless she ordered, the soldier might just keep it to herself. She pushed the thought aside, understanding that it wasn't a wise thing to force something out of someone by authority. Instead, she expressed the rest of her worries to the soldier.

"How are Lady Clair and Lady Yvikka?"

"Lady Clair…" Chloe stammered, as she didn't know how to accurately describe the Shield Legion commander's condition, but managed, "… is fine. The battle didn't touch her. But, Lady Yvikka… she is very much hanging between life and death. We're thinking of bringing her here, but the doctor said that she is too weak to be moved, and the journey is definitely risky."

"I see. I imagine that my going there will be of some help. Very well then, Lady Chloe, I think you need some rest. You may stay here for the day and return to Arias tomorrow."

"My gratitude, my queen, but I can't rest yet," was the immediate answer, "I shall return to Arias right away. I have many things to do there."

The queen became silent at the answer. The clear eyes she looked into clearly expressing the soldier's determination. She knew that, even if she ordered her to rest, the soldier might just ignore it. With a small, knowing smile, she dismissed the soldier, letting her to do whatever she saw fit.

After the soldier left, the queen's magistrate, Laselle, approached the queen, and spoke up an objection.

"Pardon me, my queen. If I may object… I don't think that it is wise for you to go to a place such as Arias. It is still too dangerous there."

"If so, what is the wisest thing for me to do, then?" Answered the queen, returning the question.

"With all due respect, I suggest that Your Majesty shall stay here as there is nothing for you to do in Arias. Just leave the work to the royal servants. I'll ensure that everything will go the way Your Majesty desires it."

"And what if 'the way I desire it' is that I go there to see it myself?"

Laselle was struck to silence by his queen's answer. The queen's persistence truly brooked no argument. Before he could object any further, the queen spoke again.

"My dear magistrate, I think you really have to learn how to 'feel'. Try to understand how our soldiers in Arias feel about all this. Losing their commanders is not just a matter of a break in the chain of command. More importantly… a commander is the one whom the soldiers take heart from, the one they relied onto to take them through the hardships, the one they believe in… and even probably, love. Lady Clair, Lady Nel, and Lady Yvikka have earned such trust from the soldiers, and if they were taken away from them, the soldiers would lose the ones whom they trust, and with that, their morale, and that is what is happening in Arias now. If we want our soldiers back, we have to give them more than just provisions and reinforcements. We have to give them encouragement, and that is exactly what I'm going there to do."

"But… Your Majesty doesn't have to do it in person. Your Majesty can just leave it to someone else…"

The queen smiled at her magistrate, and then voiced an indisputable argument.

"Laselle, do you remember the 'Servant's Oath', the promise which our servants and soldiers pledge on the day of their admittance to the royal service?"

"I do remember, Your Majesty."

"To who is the oath pledged? For whom do our soldiers fight?"

"The oath is pledged to the Kingdom of Aquaria, as well as to Your Majesty. Our soldiers vow to protect both the kingdom, and Your Majesty."

"Exactly," said the queen, "And now that our servants are troubled and need encouragement, what would be more encouraging for them than to have the one person they vowed to protect and fight for come and see them?"

This time, Laselle was truly speechless. He tried to refute her argument, but couldn't find the words to do so. Eventually, he gave in to his queen's persistence. Rather than arguing more about it, he decided to directly inspect the preparation of the royal convoy.

During the inspection, the magistrate repeatedly stressed to the royal guards that the queen's safety was their top priority. Laselle did that so often that the royal guard captains were almost sick of it by the time they marched for Arias.

---

It was dark.

And then, light came.

Dark and light mingled into one, creating a blur of shapes.

Colors came slowly after, and the blur of shapes became slightly clearer.

It became clearer…

… and clearer…

Little by little, as the dark eyes fluttered open slowly, focus came.

Finally, the dark eyes found themselves staring into what that they knew to be a 'ceiling'. It was a rather strange, foreign ceiling.

_Where… am I…?_

Memories came slowly back as, piece-by-piece, Yvikka's awareness fell into place. The first thing to come was the recollection of who she was, and then, the last thing she saw before she sank into the darkness.

_Sisera… air dragon…_

Memory after memory flashed into her mind. She remembered Arias, the battle, the image of the air dragon coming at her, her last briefing, and then stopped at one, precious person.

_I'm… in the middle of a battle…the manor's…_

_The… the manor…! Lady Clair!_

She jerked at the thought of her silver haired superior, impulsively trying to bring herself upright, but failing. Yvikka let out a restrained cry as pain ripped through her entire body. Arms immediately wrapped around her, followed by a voice calling her name.

"Lady Yvikka!"

The dark haired woman turned slowly to face her caller, finding a face that was heavily laden with worries, and then, a broad smile.

"Lady Yvikka… Oh, thank Apris… you're awake…"

Dark eyes widened in response. The face before her wasn't that of a stranger. She tried to remember, but her mind was still too foggy. The other person, for her part, saw the confusion in the dark eyes, and answered the unspoken question.

"It's me, Aline, Aline Fréndreice, Shield Legion head doctor. Don't you remember?"

The Chain Legion commander tried to speak in response, but she couldn't get her voice out. Her throat felt totally dry, and a faint taste of blood was still in her mouth. This problem was obvious to the doctor, who soon got a cup of water for the wounded soldier, then helped her to get the water down her parched throat.

"Drink, Lady Yvikka. This should help."

It took some time for her to actually drink the whole cup of water, since her throat felt sore as water went through it. Now that the uncomfortable feelings in her throat and mouth had gone, she tried to speak again, however, before she could have the chance to do just that, Aline rose to her feet.

"I… I'm going to get the high priestess," said the doctor, "She wanted to know first if you were awake… Please wait for us here, and don't move your body too much, okay?"

The thought of holding the doctor back came to Yvikka's mind, for she wanted to ask many things, but to act on the thought was difficult. She'd gotten her voice back, but her chest and throat were pained by the attempt of speaking. She tried to move her hand in a gesture to stop the doctor from leaving, but that alone was so difficult that the doctor had already gone by the time her hand was truly raised. Having failed in her attempts to ask her questions, the commander laid back on the bed, loosening her tensed muscles and taking a long, deep, slightly painful breath.

After some time, Yvikka heard the door creak opened. Expecting to see the doctor and the high priestess, she turned her still-dreamy gaze to the door only to find that her assumption was wrong. Instead of the ones she'd expected, she found another person whom she quickly recognize as her aide—Sisera.

"Yvikka… commander…" were the words that came out of her aide's lips. Her commander's figure didn't look as strong as it usually did, but the sight of the awake and mostly aware jet-black orbs directed at her amber ones was enough to bring new strength to her dying spirit. Mostly driven by her emotions, she paced closer to her dark-eyed commander, and then kneeled beside the bed. A faint trickle of tears spilled from her amber eyes without her even realizing it, and that caught the other woman's attention, as she rarely saw her aide cry.

"… What… ?"

"I heard that… you were awake, so I come… and… and… I'm so glad to see… that you truly are awake, Yvikka…" The aide answered between sobs. She then took her commander's hand, and kissed it gingerly—the most intimate gesture she knew her commander would allow, and spoke, "I was afraid… so afraid that… that you'd never wake up."

Yvikka smiled faintly at her aide. She then recalled that the last time she saw her in the battle, and asked.

"Sisera… Are we… are we still… in Arias?"

"We are, commander," the aide answered with a smile, "Arias is still standing, and it is all thanks to you."

"You were wounded… the last time… I saw you… Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," was the prompt answer, "I'm okay… You don't need to worry about me."

"How's… Lady Clair?" The dark haired woman finally managed the one question she had struggled to get out, hoping for a good answer.

Sisera didn't answer immediately. She wanted to be frank in answering it, and she knew that the typical 'she's fine' answer didn't quite match the reality. Eventually, after carefully wording it in her mind, she gave her answer.

"I'm sorry, but I don't really know how Lady Clair is doing right now. But one thing is sure, the battle didn't affect her, so…"

"I see…"

Dark eyes saddened at the answer. The aide saw it, and was pained by it. She then decided to tell her commander one thing she hoped would lighten her spirit.

"The queen was here just yesterday. She saw to Lady Clair, and… she did something to her with the high priestess. Knowing the queen, I believe that whatever she had done to Lady Clair, it must be for the better."

Yvikka's eyes widened, surprised with the news, "Her… Her Majesty came… here?"

The door creaked opened again before Sisera could tell the rest of her story. Behind the door were Aline and the high priestess, expressions of relief on their faces as they saw and heard the dark haired commander speak to the aide kneeling beside her bed. The brunette soldier, apparently knowing whatever purpose the healers had there, rose to her feet and backed away, giving the healers space to see to the wounded woman in the bed.

"How do you feel, Lady Yvikka?" The high priestess asked.

"I… don't feel… very well," Yvikka answered.

The priestess smiled, bending her body over the battered form in the bed, gently placing a hand on Yvikka's throat, since she knew from the other's voice that it troubled her. A surge of weak healing spell followed shortly after.

"Of course you don't," said the priestess, still smiling, "You got in here practically in pieces. I asked your aide what happened to you, and she said that you were run over by an air dragon. It's no wonder, then. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to do some checking over your body. I know that this may be irritating, but I have to make sure that everything is right where it should be."

Yvikka laughed silently at the doctor's choice of words, and nodded an approval. As the approval was given, the priestess reached for Yvikka's left arm and shoulder. She then applied pressure to some parts of the arm and shoulder, which was met by its owner's painful expression, and sometimes, cries. After some time, the healer turned to the wounded woman and asked.

"Can you feel your left arm?"

"Yes… I can…AH!"

A loud exclamation found its way to Yvikka's lips as the doctor pressed a particular spot in her broken shoulder. The priestess, for her part, smiled at the reaction, and spoke.

"It's good, then. I'm positive that you can use your left hand again. It's quite a miracle, in fact, remembering that it was almost separated from your body back then," the priestess then turned her attention to the other parts of Yvikka's body, checking them with a touch, press, or runology. Another contented smile came to her face as she finished attending the wounds.

"Your wounds were grave, yes, but now that you're awake, I'm sure that the threat to your life is no more. I also see that there is no permanent damage, so I'm confident that you will be able to fully recover without much trouble… that is, considering that you take the rest needed." The priestess then took a seat near Yvikka's bed, gently placing a hand on the commander's forehead. "Rest, Lady Yvikka. I'll be attending you here, so, if you need anything…"

"Your Eminence…" Yvikka cut in, "It's… not that I don't appreciate your generosity, but… shouldn't you be… attending Lady Clair?"

The priestess turned at her, giving a gentle look before answering, "My colleague is attending her at the moment, so there's nothing to worry about. Please, Lady Yvikka… your body and mind need some rest, so you shouldn't worry about anything. Everything is fine, okay?"

Yvikka sighed. Even she knew well enough that she was not in a place to worry about anything, but still, she couldn't help it, especially when Clair and Nel were involved.

"Lady Clair… how is she? I… I heard that Her Majesty…" The dark haired woman asked again.

"Lady Clair is fine," the priestess answered gently, apparently aware of Yvikka's concern, "Physically speaking, her condition has improved slightly, thanks to Her Majesty's effort. But still…"

There was a slight pause before the doctor finally managed, "If things keep on like this… it won't do any good…"

A moment of silence came at the doctor's statement, and went only when the room's door was opened once again. It was Ersa—Clair's aide; tears of joy were on her eyes as she saw her dark haired friend back again.

---

Arias, three days later…

"…and that ends our briefing session. You're dismissed."

Sisera sighed in relief as she finally managed to get the dismissal out. As a captain, briefing soldiers was not at all foreign, but briefing fellow captains of various branches of Aquarian military was somewhat new to her, and it made her nervous. After the captains had left the room, she fell into her chair with another sigh, and then turned to see the woman who had accompanied her in all the briefings in the days of the commander's absence.

"Thank you, Ersa… I would never have been able to do all this had you not helped me…"

"You're welcome, you did well yourself," Ersa beamed.

"Indeed."

The familiar voice made the aides turned their gazes, meeting a figure standing just near the room's entrance.

"Yvikka!"

The dark haired commander smiled at her subordinates' gaping expressions at her presence. She was about to meet them, but before she could even take a step, the two women had rallied to her.

"Yvik… er, I mean, commander… why are you here? You should be resting," Sisera shot out almost immediately as she got to her commander.

"Well, I kind of tired of staying in the bed and doing nothing for so long," Yvikka answered, smiling.

"Are you really sure that you're all right?" Ersa asked.

"I really am fine," was the firm answer.

_And now you want to work yourself sick again, commander? Apris… why can't you at least rest until you fully recover?_

Just as she thought about it, Sisera found her commander's attention was turned on her, looking at her with a broad grin as if there's something funny on the face the commander was looking at.

"I—Is there something in my face?" The brunette stammered.

Yvikka didn't answer. Instead, she turned at Ersa again, and spoke the rest of her answer to Ersa's previous question.

"… But I'm not going to fully take the lead right away. Aside from the fact that the doctor won't allow me to do so, I believe that this lady over here won't agree with that, either," said Yvikka, throwing a teasing glance at Sisera, and went on again, "I'll be doing deskwork, while the field duties will be yours to attend to, if you don't mind."

While Ersa answered to the commander's suggestion with an approval, Sisera was still dumbstruck at how her commander could so easily read her. The dark haired woman saw her lost aide. Smiling, she snapped her back to reality with a question.

"What's with the frown, Sisera? Do you not like me taking on small duties? Should I take on bigger ones as well?"

The brunette aide, having returned to reality, smiled timidly at the question. In all honesty, the image of the commander standing up and working was something she had always taken heart from, but she was also worried about it, since she knew the commander's tendency to overwork herself. However, looking at her commander lying in bed all day long wasn't something pleasant, either. Eventually, with a shy glance and smile at the dark haired woman before her, she managed to answer.

"No, commander, please don't work any harder than that. I'm just glad… that you're back at all."

"Very well, then," the commander answered with an even wider smile. She then took the hands of her subordinates, joining them and clasping them tightly in her hands, "Thank you… Ersa, Sisera… for all your hard work during these hard times. I don't know what would have become of Arias had both of you not been here."

The aides returned Yvikka's sincere gratitude with smiles. A brief moment of silence came and went before the commander spoke again.

"… I'll be in my room, as usual. Please bring me all the reports that I've missed during my absence, including the battle damage report and the latest supply status."

"Yes, ma'am," the two aides answered in a unison.

---

Having the Chain Legion commander back, the soldiers stationed in Arias once again found their leader. Though the scars of the recent skirmish were still raw, Arias was well underway on the path to its recovery.

Though the rebuilding of the town progressed at a heartening pace, the search efforts for Nel Zelpher didn't go well, and Clair Lasbard's condition didn't improve. Search parties always returned with nothing, not even a piece of information on Nel's whereabouts, not even rumors. Eventually, the soldiers came to the point where they were almost fully convinced that the Secret Legion leader was dead, and it pained the dark haired commander, for Nel was her only hope to help Clair. If Nel died, she couldn't think of any other thing in the world that might be able to save the silver haired woman. As the soldiers had no more will to continue the search, the commander finally put a stop to it, though only grudgingly.

One night, frustrated by her own decision to stop the search efforts for Nel, Yvikka went to Clair's room. The high priestess met her at the door as she came to it. After a brief exchange of greetings, they settled beside Clair, conversing with each other. With a heave of her chest, the commander started the talk.

"How is Lady Clair, Your Eminence?"

"… There's little that we can do about her condition," the priestess answered, tiredly shaking her head, "She's still conscious… but her condition is worsening with every passing moment," the priestess then lifted her face, meeting the dark haired woman eye to eye, "… She's dying, Lady Yvikka…"

Yvikka clenched her jaw shut in an effort to hold back the pain in her heart, which threatened to crush her at the mention of Clair dying. After a brief silence, she eventually managed to find her voice again.

"… I… have ceased the search efforts for Lady Nel. I have sent a messenger to Aquios about it… and I believe… that the official announcement of her death will soon follow…"

It was the priestess' turn to be silent. Even she was aware enough that Nel might be the one who would be able to reach Clair in her catatonic state. The two soldiers were famous not only for their deeds and rank, but also for the friendship between them, and the priestess honestly thought that Clair may be closer, if not more intimate, with Nel than to her father, Adray.

"… That is unfortunate," the priestess finally managed through the silence, "Has Sir Adray been informed of this?"

The commander shook her head, "Sir Adray is on a mission. Efforts to contact him have been made ever since Lady Clair fell ill, but it seems that the messengers just can't find him."

"I see…"

The doctor still wanted to stay and talk, but all too soon, a call for aid found her. She answered the call, leaving Yvikka with Clair in the room.

Yvikka, for her part, wanted nothing more than to be alone with Clair so that she could talk to the silver haired woman about her feelings, about how she felt so much for her. Granted, she was now alone with Clair, but she couldn't really talk to her if Clair was not even aware of her surroundings.

_But… will there be any other time for me to speak?_

Deciding that it was now or never, the dark haired woman finally decided to speak. She then turned to look directly at Clair's face, just as she would when she spoke to people, her hand slipping into Clair's, clasping it tightly.

"Lady Clair…"

"I'm sorry… that I have not been able to find Lady Nel. I have to cease the search effort, for our soldiers feel that it is pointless to keep looking for her. They… they believe… that she is already dead…" She paused, and continued, "But don't you worry, Lady Clair. I'll keep looking, even if I am the only one who's willing to look for her. Something happened to Lady Nel, I know, and I know that you're sad because of that. I don't want you to be sad like this for the rest of your life, and that's why… I'll keep looking, because I believe… that you'll be happy in her presence… won't you, Lady Clair?"

Her speech came to halt again. In all honesty, she, too, had lost much of her will to continue the search. The thought of Nel's death slowly breached the defenses of her heart and mind with every empty-handed returning search party, and she was at the point of nearly believing that the Secret Legion leader was truly dead.

All of a sudden, her defenses broke, all her feelings for the silver haired woman went out of control in the knowing that the days to come might well be Clair's last moments. Tears came trickling down her cheeks before she could even stop them. Her hand clasped Clair's hand even more tightly. Her voice came in a tormented whisper.

"Apris… Lady Clair… live…! I can't… I can't let you stay like this… I can't let you die… You're… everything to me, Clair… You're my commander, my strength, my anchor… and…"

The last words were already on the tip of her tongue, but it was truly difficult for Yvikka to actually say them out of respect for her silver haired superior, realizing that her heart might belong to another, someone like Nel. But still, she managed to get it out.

"I'm sorry, Lady Clair… for I might be impolite, or disrespectful, but I want you to know… that I love you. I truly love you, from the bottom of my very heart. Even if… even if you do love someone else… even if you do have your heart set on Lady Nel… I will always love you. I…promise you…"

Speaking softly, the dark haired woman whispered an unheard promise. A promise unknown to the one whom she committed herself to.

A promise known only to her and the night.


	9. Day of Reunion

Disclaimers # 1: Star Ocean is not mine. It is the rightful properties of Square-Enix's. The only things I can claim ownership here are my OCs.

Disclaimers # 2: This fanfiction is based on another fanfiction titled Two Soldiers: Fire and Ice authored by Artemis' Bow, so it's natural if the plots of my and Artemis' story cross at some points. If you are new to this story, I highly recommend you to read Artemis' Two Soldiers as well if you want to get a better grasp to this story. A very special thanks to Artemis' Bow, for her approval and support have made this fic possible. If you like this story, part of the credit shall go to her.

Author's Note: I apologize for the (very) lengthy update. I know that I said that I will get the update up in February… but things didn't go as planned. I'm really, really sorry about it. For those who're kind enough to leave reviews, I want to express my sincerest thanks. For those who haven't left review, please do so, for I need to know your opinion about this story. I welcome critics, though nonsensical flame will be more than likely to be laughed at. One thing you can count on me: Don't worry about me leaving this story unfinished. I will never do that. This story won't end before I say 'the end'.

And lastly… please read, and enjoy. Happy reading.

**The Third Soldier: Another Heart**

**Chapter 8**

**Day of Reunion**

_Finally… I'm home again…_

Nel Zelpher took a deep breath, taking in the familiar scent of her home—the scent that she had been missing throughout her journey with Fayt. She stood in silence for a time, diving into the familiarity of her surroundings that calmed her nearly frayed mind and senses. In her journey, she had traveled to places that none of her people could ever imagine—the gloomy metal jungle of the place Fayt called 'Moonbase', the tight spaces inside a celestial ship, the barren, monster-infested land of a star called 'Styx', and then, the 4D space. In all honesty, had things gone well before she left, Nel might've enjoyed such adventures with her companions, but the facts were otherwise. She could not enjoy even a little of it. Her senses had grown sick of the unfamiliar surroundings she had visited, and her mind had become more and more tormented as they moved from one place to another, for it made her feel that home was very far away. Not to mention the things she'd learned during her journey.

_Home…_

_Clair is here… My home is here… _

The thought of her best friend struck her. The image she had of Clair's face before she passed out in the arena was something she never wanted to see again—pale brown eyes filled with disbelief, a face that looked ready to shatter.

_Clair… forgive me for being so foolish. I hope that you're okay…_

_Just you wait, Clair… I'll be seeing you soon._

_Please… be there for me…_

As she was deep in thought, Fayt called for her. After a brief conversation, it was decided that they would head to Arias and Aquios, because it was clear that Nel, being a servant of her country, had some issues to deal with—especially those caused by her sudden 'disappearance'. With their destination decided, Fayt, as the leader of the party, stepped forward.

"Okay, then. Let's go to Arias," said the blue haired boy. As he started walking, he took out something that Nel recognized as a 'computer'—a device she'd never heard of or known anything about before, but now she knew that it could be used to store and view information—and tinkered with it for a while. After a few loud beeps from the device he was carrying, Fayt stopped, and then turned to the redhead with an expression that could only be described as confused.

"Um… Nel?"

"What is it, Fayt?" Nel answered with her typical ice-cold tone and expression.

"Have you any idea where we are?"

The Crimson Blade didn't answer immediately. She looked around, trying to find any landmarks she could recognize. To Fayt's and the others' eyes, their surroundings might only look like a barren, hilly area with no clues as to their whereabouts, but to Nel's trained eyes, the very same area bore clear hints of their position. It didn't take long for her to realize that they were in Kirlsa hills.

"What? Can't find your way around, Fayt?" Nel asked rather teasingly, and went on, "I thought someone said to me before that the small device you're holding can show everything."

"Uhh… I forgot to say… _nearly_ everything. This device can't show things that we don't know yet. In this case… it seems that we're in a… an uncharted region," said the boy, rather shyly.

Nel sighed.

"Well, we're currently in the Kirlsa hills, and we're not too far away from the main road. Do you want me to lead the way?"

"Please."

---

Not long after, the party arrived in Arias, and the first things they were met with were the stunned, or more exactly, _shocked_ eyes of the gate guards. The fact that the 'Saviors of Aquaria'—the name Aquarians sometimes used to refer to Fayt and Cliff—would come and visit them again was already surprising, but what was more shocking was the sight of the presumed-dead Nel Zelpher, alive and breathing in front of them.

"L-Lady… Nel? Is it… is it really you?" Asked one of the guards.

"Of course it's really me, who else do you think I am?" Nel answered, her voice cool and calm, despite of the growing anxiety she felt after being so long away from the town, or more exactly, from Clair.

"We thought that you were… dead."

"Almost, but my luck held. Now, are you going to keep us standing here or just let us in?"

The guards jerked as if being snapped out of a daze. They then stepped out of Nel's way, but not before giving the Crimson Blade and her company a rather hasty salute.

As the party entered the town, they were met with many more astonished expressions from the people, due especially to Nel's presence, which effectively put a halt to the activities around them. Soldiers and runologists left their posts and joined the crowd welcoming the party, looking at the Secret Legion leader with both disbelief and delight. One of them, a subordinate of Clair's, stepped out of the crowd, meeting the redhead eye to eye. Nel, quickly recognizing the soldier, spoke her name.

"Ersa…"

"… Lady Nel," answered the aide, saluting the commander, "Welcome back."

Before the redhead could speak more, her eyes caught sight of a person running up to her and calling her name in a familiar and unmistakable high-pitched voice.

"Lady Neeeeeeeeell!"

Farleen, seemingly unable to restrain herself, jumped at her commander with open arms, as if wanting to give her a big hug. Nel, however, stepped aside nonchalantly, causing Farleen to miss her and crash into Fayt instead. Tynave, Farleen's partner, came in time to see the two people fall and roll on the ground. As the dust cleared, the girl was lying face down atop of Fayt, while the boy himself was lying face up, making him incredibly uncomfortable.

"What… a welcome," the blue haired boy groaned from below Farleen.

Farleen, realizing that she had missed her 'target', quickly stood up, and clumsily bowed an apology after helping the boy to stand. While Tynave and most of the people around them smiled in suppressed laughter at the scene unfolding before them, the redhead could only give a faint smile, for she wanted to just skip all the welcomes and go straight home to Clair. She waited for a moment, letting everything to calm down again, and then walked up to Fayt.

"Fayt, could you please give me some time alone? I have things to take care of… and I need to be by myself in doing them."

"Sure. I'm thinking about resting here for a while as well. If you need something from us… we'll be in the inn."

As Fayt and others headed to the inn, Ersa gave out commands to the crowd, telling them to return to their duties. After the crowd had dispersed, there were only four soldiers left—Nel, Tynave, Farleen, and Ersa—but Tynave and Farleen also had their own duties to do, so they only stayed with their commander for a short while before going, leaving Nel and Ersa conversing with each other while walking toward the manor.

"So, how are things going, Ersa?" Nel asked.

"Things are doing fine, Lady Nel, you needn't worry about us. What's more important… you should be worried about Lady Clair."

The aide's words shook the redhead to her very soul. It shouldn't have been so surprising, since Nel had expected such news to come, but she had no idea how painful and disturbing it was to really hear.

_How foolish of you,_ Nel berated herself.

_Of course you can't expect her to be just fine after what she saw back there!_

_How do you think it feels to see the one you love die?_

Nel felt as if time had frozen for a split second. Her memories went back to the day she was informed of her father's demise. She remembered exactly how painful it was just to hear the news, and she couldn't imagine what would have become of her had she witnessed it herself. Clair had been beside her during those hard times. Without the gentle, strong soul of the silver haired woman, she might have lost herself forever. Those last thoughts struck her.

_Clair… was there to witness it. She witnessed it, and thought that I was… dead._

…

"What happened to Clair?" Nel finally managed her question.

"Lady Clair… is ill. She's been ill since the day you disappeared. On that day… she came back from Kirlsa completely unlike herself. The doctors saw to her immediately, but they said she is in shock and is unlikely to come out of it anytime soon. Tynave and Farleen went to the training facility where it was reported you two had gone and found blood… _your_ blood in the arena. It was later surmised that you were dead and your body taken, as you hadn't returned with Lady Clair. You two were... are, very close, and the doctors thought that the cause of her current condition might have been witnessing your death."

Nel sighed heavily as guilt came down hard on her. She knew that if she were to hear any more about Clair being in trouble, especially trouble she knew that she was the cause of, she'd likely break, but she still needed to know. Nel braced herself to ask more about Clair's condition from the aide, so that she could have a better picture of her best friend's condition in order to figure out a way to help. Ersa, for her part, remembering that Nel had been able to help Clair out of a somewhat similar situation after the last major battle in Aquaria-Airyglyph war, put all her faith to Nel that the woman would be able to help Clair again now by telling the redhead all she knew about her commander's condition.

The two women separated as they reached the manor. When Nel was about to open the manor's front door, someone opened it from the inside. The figure behind the door was someone whom the spy was just starting to be familiar with—the dark-haired Yvikka, her features every bit as defeated and tired as Nel's, but most of the defeated look vanished when she smiled.

"Welcome back, Lady Nel…" the other commander said, lifting her hand in a salute. Knowing that Nel undoubtedly want to see Clair immediately, she shifted out of Nel's way, giving priority to the spy.

"Lady Clair is in her room," the commander said again lowly. It was not that the Chain Legion commander was displeased with Nel's return. In fact, she was grateful beyond words that her prayers were finally answered. Nel had returned, and she was happy about that, but she also realized that the joy wouldn't be whole if Clair couldn't be helped, which made her feel somewhat haunted, hence her rather plain greeting.

Nel nodded a silent thanks to the other woman, and proceeded to go in. Just as the spy passed the soldier, her ears picked a faint, pleading whisper.

"Please… help Lady Clair."

"I will," Nel whispered back.

Nel then continued onward, climbed up the stairs to see her best friend, watched by a pair of hopeful jet-black eyes.

---

Yvikka had been strolling around the town rather absently for quite some time. Though it seemed as if she was inspecting the rebuilding efforts, her mind was not actually in it. She had delegated most of her duties to either Ersa or Sisera, as the doctors still wouldn't allow her to take on too many field duties such a patrol, leaving her with the deskwork, as well as some time to think about other things.

_I wonder how Lady Nel and Lady Clair are doing now…_

In all honesty, the commander had wanted to come with Nel to see Clair, but she realized that she wasn't someone who had the right to do so, so she chose to keep herself away while hoping for the best. As she was thinking about it, her eyes caught the unmistakable figure of a blue haired boy—Fayt, the savior of Aquaria.

_Master Fayt…_

From what she'd heard, she knew that Nel returned along with Fayt and his company. Judging from how things looked, it occurred to her that it was highly likely that whatever had happened to Nel in Kirlsa Training Facility's Arena, the boy had been there to help the redhead. With that in mind, she knew that this town, or at least, she herself, owed thanks to the boy. Very much decided, the commander doubled her pace in an attempt to catch up with Fayt, but all too soon, a bunch of big wooden bars carried by soldiers helping the reconstruction crossed her path, bringing her steps to a stop. By the time the obstacles had gone, the blue haired boy was nowhere she could see. She tried to look for the boy for some time, but to no avail, so she decided to just head to the manor. Aside from knowing that Nel was there, and sticking around the redhead might lead her to Fayt sooner or later, she was also feeling the need to know how the two women are doing.

As she was walking along the corridor leading to Clair's room, someone bumped into her from the adjoining hallway. The collision was a hard one that knocked the other figure over, while Yvikka was doubled over with the staggering pain in the left side of her ribcage, which hadn't fully recovered yet. Still struggling with the pain, the commander turned to look at whoever had run into her—who turned out to be the very person she was looking for.

Fayt.

"M-master Fayt!" The words spilled rapidly out of the soldier's lips. She quickly stretched her hand out to the fallen boy in an attempt to help him up, since she was the one who was still standing, apologizing at the same time.

"I-I'm sorry… really sorry…"

Fayt, still very dazed, didn't take the offered hand right away. He stayed on the floor for a time, shaking his head. He had been running when he'd bumped his head into something that felt like a concrete wall—which had in fact been Yvikka's armor.

"Master Fayt, are you all right?" Yvikka asked again, kneeling down next to the stunned boy.

"Uh… yeah, I'm okay…" Fayt finally managed to answer. He then turned to see the person whom he'd run into, his eyes unwittingly locking on the soldier before him with a rather strange feeling. The soldier had the voice of a female, but the attire of an Aquarian male soldier, which he wasn't accustomed to seeing in this land—partly because all of the Aquarian female soldiers he'd ever seen always wear form-fitting outfit, like Nel, Tynave, Farleen, and Clair. While he was wondering, the soldier once again offered a hand to him.

"Are you really sure you're all right?"

"Yes, yes… I'm okay, don't worry about me," the boy answered again rapidly while taking the hand offered to him. When they were finally on equal footing, they found themselves staring at each other. Trying to get out of the somewhat awkward situation, Fayt decided to speak up. "Look…"

"I'm sorry."

Silence followed the words as the two strangers found that they actually said their apologies in a near-perfect unison. While Fayt was apparently trying to suppress his laughter, Yvikka, on the other hand, felt incredibly uncomfortable. The commander took a deep breath and spoke up.

"Master Fayt… I… I am really sorry for what happened. I was kind of lost in thought, and I didn't see you there. Please..."

"No, you didn't do anything wrong," Fayt cut in, "Really… it's me who's sorry. It was my fault."

The pair fell silent once again. Fayt, remembering his reason for being in the manor in the first place, cleared his throat in an attempt to draw the soldier's attention before he spoke.

"Um… do you happen to know where Ne… I mean, Lady Nel is?"

"Lady Nel? Lady Nel is attending Lady Clair in her room," Yvikka answered, slightly startled by Fayt's question.

Fayt sighed. He realized that his question was a cliché. Nel and Clair were best friends, he knew, and now that the silver haired woman was ill, Nel would, undoubtedly, be with her. He had been worried about the two women since learning the fact, and he wanted to help.

"I see… I heard that Lady Clair is ill."

"… That is true."

The boy sighed, a concerned look apparent on his face, "Could I… see her? I might be able to help."

Yvikka, despite knowing that Fayt was capable of doing many things that the people in her land couldn't, shook her head in refusal. She believed in the boy's abilities, but this time, she had more faith in Nel.

"Please… Master Fayt, do not worry about it. She is with Lady Nel, and judging from how things look, I believe that Lady Nel's presence is remedy enough for Lady Clair. All they need is time."

Fayt smiled, the expression both sour and knowing. He remembered that Nel had told him to leave her alone for a while, and he knew the redhead well enough to know that if he was to show up in Clair's room now, the best result he'd face would be being blasted out of the room by any one, or a combination of Nel's killing techniques—whether he would still be alive or not after that was another matter entirely, and dying might not be the worst consequence possible.

And Fayt didn't dare imagine what 'the worst' would be…

"Alright, then, if that's so. I guess I'll just spend the night here. Could I leave a message for Lady Nel with you?"

"Yes, happily."

"Please tell her that I'll be staying here for the day, because I'm a bit worried about her… I mean, Sophia. She still needs some more time to get used to all these… hardships, and our plan to go to Aquios will have to be postponed until tomorrow morning. And please tell her that I'm sorry for any inconvenience caused by the change in plans."

"Is that all of your message?" the soldier asked.

"Yes."

"Very well, Master Fayt. I'll make sure that your message gets to Lady Nel."

"Thanks. Please do that."

Fayt was just about to leave when the soldier called to him from behind. He was surprised, along with feeling incredibly awkward, as he saw the soldier bowed deeply to him.

"Wh-what is that for?" Asked the boy, stammering.

"I just want to thank you… for all that you've done for us. It is an honor for me to be able to speak with you, as well as to be able to personally express my gratitude. Thank you, Master Fayt…" Yvikka answered.

"Uh, well… you're welcome…"

With those words, the boy left, still wearing a bewildered look on his face. The dark haired soldier watched the boy as he went down the stairs, and then continued her walk to Clair's room.

---

As she got to the door to Clair's room, the commander was silently greeted by the high priestess and her colleague, who happened to be waiting near the door. Knowing the need to maintain the peace, the commander answered the greetings silently as well. She then leaned her body against the wall near the door, silently praying for the best to happen.

Waiting

… and waiting…

…

"Nel…"

As if in answer to her prayer, Yvikka's ears picked up a particular voice coming faintly from the room behind the wall—a voice she knew well, a voice she'd missed… The voice was somewhat raw, but there was no mistaking it.

"I told you the truth because I needed you to understand…"

Clair's voice.

_Lady Clair… thank Apris…_

It was quite an effort for the commander to restrain herself from bolting directly into Clair's room; to make sure that her esteemed superior had really come out of whatever place she'd been in. Her respect for the two women overruled her desire, and she knew she had to wait. Still, Clair's voice was like music to her ears; it soothed her dying spirit, and was even more reassured when she heard the laughter of the two women she cherished most. It gave her strength—almost the same strength she'd had on the day when it had all begun.

A moment later, Sisera, Yvikka's aide, came looking for her commander. She was about to speak, but her speech was halted when she saw her commander's face. The face that had been constantly tense in these past few weeks was now soft, gentle, and very relaxed. Gone was her commander's restless expression; all that was left were the calm, tender features that she herself had been longing to see.

And so she stayed silent, diving into the comfort of her commander's peaceful expression gave her.

After some time, the commander lifted her head. Seeing her aide, she knew that she had duties waiting to be attended to. She then straightened her body and turned to the high priestess.

"Your Eminence, could I leave a message from Master Fayt for Lady Nel with you?"

"Sure," answered the priestess, "Just give me the message, and I'll give it to her."

"Here's the message: Master Fayt plans to stay here for the rest of the day because his friend, Sophia still needs some time to rest, and so the plan to go to Aquios will have to wait until tomorrow morning. He also apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause."

"Very well, milady. I'll make sure that it gets to her."

"Thank you, Your Eminence, and sorry for the bother. If only I could stay here longer, I'd give her the message personally, but it seems that I can't."

"Don't worry about it, milady. Please just take care of yourself while you're attending to your duties. Your wounds have yet to heal fully."

"I will, Your Eminence. Thank you."

The commander, her spirit renewed, walked over at her aide, lifting her lips into a smile as she passed.

"Let's go, Sisera. Let us not leave any work for Lady Nel and Lady Clair."

The aide, fully recognizing the good news in her commander's words, straightened, her reply spirited.

"Yes, ma'am!"

---

Arias, nighttime.

Dinner time had long since passed, and nearly all of the town's activities—except the night shift—had long since ceased, as most people had gone in for a good night's rest to prepare for the coming day.

Nel, however, still had her eyes wide open. She was looking at her bedmate, Clair Lasbard, who seemed to be kind of uneasy. The silver-haired woman was sitting on her bed, absently staring at the wall, sometimes stealing glances at the green orbs of her bedmate, throwing a small, uneasy smile upon finding that those eyes were locked on hers in return.

"Clair, what's wrong?" The redhead asked, "Is something bothering you?"

The runologist didn't answer right away. She looked at her beloved for some time, smiled, and then answered.

"I… I 'm just wondering…"

"About what?"

"… Now that I think of it… this town…" Clair answered, her voice seeming to drift. She turned to her beloved spy, asking, "Who is in charge here? I mean… with both of us absent…"

Nel smiled. Another piece of her friend's soul seemed to have returned. She honestly didn't like Clair being such a worrywart. However, seeing Clair without worries wouldn't feel like looking at the same Clair she knew, for she had long been accustomed to seeing her friend worrying about things.

"I talked to your aide, Ersa, a while ago outside the room," said Nel, "She said that the Chain Legion commander is currently in charge here."

"The Chain Legion… Yvikka?"

"Yes. Ersa said that there were also hard times… but Yvikka managed to lead the town to get through it well enough. I think things are going fine here. There's nothing to worry about."

"I see…"

"Clair…"

Nel, hearing her friend's still-uneasy response, pushed herself upright, cradled the beautiful runologist close to her, still wearing a smile, and spoke up, trying to be soothing.

"… Can we please talk about this kind of thing later? It could be quite tiresome to talk about it now, and you still need to rest… Please don't worry about it."

"Nel…" The runologist lifted her voice softly, "I have neglected my duties… I must've caused her quite a few hardships…"

"Clair," the warrior cut in, her voice slightly stronger than before, "I, too, have neglected my duties, and moreover, I am the cause of all this—there's no changing that. If anyone wants to put blame on you, he or she will have to go through me first."

Clair was speechless for a moment. Just as she opened her mouth in attempt of speaking, she felt her friend's calloused fingertip touched her lips, effectively halting her argument. Nel's voice came, this time more softly and in an almost pleading tone she rarely used—a tone that Clair had little to no defense against.

"Clair, please don't worry… everything will be all right…"

The runologist felt somewhat guilty when she heard her beloved speak in such a tone. She smiled to herself at the knowledge of how vulnerable she was to Nel's pleading. Still wearing the smile, Clair laid herself back on the bed.

"Sorry, Nel… I was… I just… I don't know. I think I've slept too much, and now I can't seem to sleep…"

Nel sighed, shifting closer to Clair, and spoke in a tone that was as soft and caring as she could make it, a tone she never used with anyone but to her silver-haired friend.

"How about having a good cup of tea or milk? Those can lead to a good night's sleep."

Clair turned to see her friend properly, finding beautiful, smiling green eyes that fascinated her to no end with just a look watching her. Nel's expression was one she'd rarely showed since her father died—an expression from her childhood, calling up memories of a red haired girl who was in high spirits and eager to make her happy, and Clair couldn't help but return the smile in an equal measure.

"I think… having a cup of tea with milk with you will do, Nel."

"Then I'll make one for you."

With the words, the spy pushed herself upright. Just as she was about to leave her friend's side, she felt Clair's soft hand touch hers, followed by a voice laden with fears and worries.

"Nel…"

The redhead turned, feeling uneasy upon finding her friend looking at her with haunted eyes. She knew that Clair didn't want her to leave, but she would have to in the coming days, and when the time came, it wouldn't be just a matter of going to the kitchen to make some tea. Tomorrow she would leave for Aquios, and several days after, she'd be on another world, far away from her friend.

"Clair…" The warrior said softly, gently clasping her friend's hand, and moving it away, "… Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere far. I'll just go as far as the kitchen. You just wait here, and I'll return to you soon, okay?"

The silver haired commander looked at her beloved for some time, eventually, albeit reluctantly, nodding her approval,

"Okay, Nel… Please be back soon…"

"I will."

---

Nel went to the kitchen, finding its lamp was lit and a kettle of water was over a small fire in the fireplace. Apparently, someone else had been in here, but Nel couldn't find anyone. Perhaps he or she had left, but would definitely come back.

_Well… I hope they won't mind if I take some of the water._

Nel put some more wood in the fireplace to make a bigger fire in hopes of getting the water to boil more quickly. As she was waiting for the water, she prepared everything she'd need to make tea. She had found the cups, the teapot, sugar, and milk all right, but much to her dismay, she couldn't find any tea leaves.

_Just where are they? Don't tell me that we ran out of tea._

"Ah… Lady Nel?"

The voice broke through her thoughts, taking her slightly by surprise. The redhead turned, seeing a fellow commander by the door, recognizing her quickly.

"Oh, Yvikka."

"My salute, milady," said the Chain Legion commander, giving a quick salute, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I was just about to ask," answered Nel, "Do you happen to know where the tea is? I was about to make some but I can't find any."

"Tea, Lady Nel?" Said the other woman, ensuring that she'd heard right, "I was about to make some myself, as well… but unfortunately, it seems that we are out of tea."

"Oh, well… I guess I'll have to just have the milk, then…"

"I still have some leaves, Lady Nel. We can share."

"You kept some from the rations?" Nel asked.

"No, not from the rations. They are from my personal belongings," said Yvikka, taking a bag of tea leaves from her pocket.

"Are you sure you can share? I'm going to make a pot, not just a cup…"

"It's fine, Lady Nel. I just need a cup, anyway. Also, if you don't mind, I'd like to make it all in one pot."

"Well… do as you wish."

Nel watched Yvikka making the tea in silence for a while, and then found herself wondering about the woman she was watching. In all honesty, Nel never bothered to wonder about a person she didn't know well, but the Chain Legion commander had somehow become an exception. For one, she was Clair's friend, and her meritorious accomplishments she had heard about from Ersa and the other soldiers she'd talked to made her want to know more about the dark-haired woman.

And so, Nel decided to invite her into a conversation.

"What's with all the gear, Yvikka? Are you on the night shift or something?" Nel asked.

Yvikka was startled by the sudden question, but then realized that it was not an odd thing to be asked. True enough, she was wearing her uniform and armor, and she even had her sword hanging from her belt at the moment, which could make many people wonder, for it was late in the night, and unless she was on the night shift, such attire wasn't all that common to wear.

And a commander on the night shift was strange in and of itself.

"Kind of that, Lady Nel," Yvikka answered, "But not really. This is just… a habit I became accustomed to in Peterny. I used to patrol around the city for a few hours before going to sleep."

"A strange habit…"

"Some people might find it strange, but it just can't be helped. I might not be able to sleep properly if I don't do it."

Nel laughed silently at the answer. She knew that she, too, had had such a 'habit' back in the last war. If she didn't do at least one patrol around Arias, she hadn't been able to sleep.

"I see. You're quite a soldier."

The dark haired woman chuckled at the comment, for she didn't know how to respond. The sound of boiling water got her attention, and she went over to the fireplace to pick up the pot. As she got back to the table where the tea was, she asked the redhead a question.

"By the way, Lady Nel… How's Lady Clair? I heard that she's come out of her catatonia."

"That is true," Nel answered coolly, "She's fine now. A little tired, though."

"Glad to hear that."

"And that is all thanks to you," Nel said in indirect thanks, knowing what the commander had done during the time of her absence. Her gratitude was met by a surprised expression from Yvikka.

"I heard from Ersa," the Crimson Blade went on, "and also from Tynave and Farleen, that you fended off the attacks of the Glyphian rogues…"

… _Had you not succeeded, what would I have had to come back to?_

That part of Nel's thoughts was never voiced.

Yvikka honestly hadn't expected those words to come. In a meeting earlier, she'd told her soldiers not to mention a word about the skirmish to Nel and Clair, because she didn't want to make them worry. With Nel, she wasn't sure, but Clair would definitely start worrying if the news ever reached her ears, and it might not be good for the silver haired woman, considering what she had just recovered from.

But then, she also had trouble deciding when would be the right time to tell them.

"I'm… I was just carrying out my duty, that's all," the dark haired woman managed.

"I know, yet that is still no small feat," said the redhead, smiling faintly at her companion's timid response, "From what I've heard, it must've been a great deal of strain for you to keep the soldiers together. It is difficult to lead disheartened soldiers, I know. You did that, and I respect you for that."

"I… I'm honored, Lady Nel, but honestly, it's…"

Yvikka's speech was cut short as her ears picked up the faint sound of uneven footsteps. Apparently, the crimson-haired spy before her noticed them as well, for her posture tensed, and her green orbs turned cautious.

Then, a voice came.

"Nel…"

"That's…"

"Nel, are you there?" The voice called again.

"Gods, Clair…!" Nel gasped, exclaiming softly, immediately recognizing the voice that was calling her name. She then hurriedly closed in on the door, intending to go out and meet her friend, but before she could do so, the door was yanked open suddenly, revealing Clair behind it. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was tense and tear-streaked.

"Nel…" was the only word that came out of Clair's lips as she saw her beloved before her. She tried to reach the redhead, but missed a step, causing her to lose her balance.

"Clair!"

"Lady Clair!"

In an instant, two pairs of strong arms came to Clair's aide, keeping her from falling to the hard stone floor.

"Hang in there, Lady Clair!"

For a moment, Clair just stayed there, in the strong embrace of the arms, trying to catch her breath after coming out of her momentary surprise. Her hand reached out, tracing Nel's arm and up to her shoulder. Slowly, Clair lifted her face, fresh tears coming out of her beautiful light brown eyes.

"Nel…"

"Clair, what's wrong? I told you to wait in the room…" Nel asked, her voice worried.

"I'm… I'm afraid, Nel… so afraid…" Clair choked between sobs, "It was… it was like a dream… that you woke me up… that we played… that you were going to make me tea… that you were here, alive, beside me… it was all like a dream, Nel… and your death… it was almost… like reality…"

"What do you mean, Clair?" Nel asked again, though part of her knew the likely answer to the question.

"I fell asleep… and I saw you die… then I woke up, and you weren't beside me… Oh, Nel… I… I am so afraid of just thinking… which one is the dream, and which one is… the reality…" Clair whimpered, her voice strangled, her head sunk low to Nel's breast, "I'm afraid that… that you're truly… gone…"

Nel held her dear friend closely with all of her might, holding back the stinging guilt and tears. For some time, the world narrowed down to only her and Clair, and in that small world, she did all she could to drive the demon of her 'death' away from her precious friend by sharing the warmth of her body, the strength of her arms, the comfort of her voice, everything that she had that could make Clair believe that she _was_ alive. Nothing else mattered to her.

Yvikka, who'd long retreated from the two, watched the scene before her with a slight pang of jealousy, but it soon vanished, washed away by the remembrance of her silent promise to Clair. She smiled broadly, realizing that, despite the slight envy, looking at the two women together was also soothing, comforting, and encouraging all at once. She watched at them for a time before finally backing away even further and turning away out of respect, and to give them some privacy.

Several moments had gone by before Clair finally managed to get her head out of its safe hiding place, though she did so reluctantly. She honestly didn't want the embrace to end, but she knew that they couldn't keep on like that forever. She looked up then, finding Nel's green watching her, full of care and concern, but smiling.

"I'm sorry Clair… for leaving you for too long…" Nel apologized.

"It's fine," the runologist replied, managing a smile for her beloved, "Finding you here… alive… and well… that is enough…"

Clair then leaned her body against her warrior's, wrapping the woman in another warm, loving embrace out of relief that she'd found her beloved alive. Over the spy's muscular shoulder, the runologist's eyes caught a glimpse of another figure in the room, back turned to them. Clair first recognized the dark gray uniform of the Chain Legion, the jet-black hair of its wearer, and then the commander's insignia on the uniform, and called out.

"Yvikka… are you… Yvikka?"

The Chain Legion commander turned slowly at the call, finding her dear silver-haired superior standing right in front of her. A smile spread across her face as she lifted her hand in salute.

"I am, Lady Clair…"

For a moment, Clair just looked at her subordinate in silence. She then paced closer, looking at the soldier's gauntleted hand, took it, and spoke.

"Yvikka… I am sorry. I… must have caused you many difficulties…"

"Don't say it, Lady Clair," Yvikka said with a soft voice, "You didn't cause me any trouble."

"I have neglected my duties, and forced them onto you. As a commander, I…"

"Taking over your duties was part of my orders, Lady Clair," the dark haired woman cut in gently, smiling, "And you know that I'm glad to take orders… there's nothing to be sorry for."

Clair sighed. She knew her former aide well enough to know that if she argued over such a thing, the woman wouldn't hesitate to talk back, so she stayed silent, looking at her fellow commander in the eye.

"Nevertheless… thank you, Yvikka," the runologist managed, clasping her friend's hand more tightly. When she looked to her side, she found three tea cups and a teapot with leaves inside. Looking at those made an idea came cross her mind.

"You're making tea…" Clair muttered.

"Yes, Lady Clair. I was in the middle of making some when Lady Nel came. Since she also wanted to make tea, so I offered to make more…" Yvikka stopped her speech short as she saw the runologist looking at the tea she was making with a thoughtful expression, and then asked, "What is it, Lady Clair?"

"Nothing… I'm just thinking…" Clair answered, her eyes tracking back to the night-black orbs of her friend, smiling widely, "It would be lovely if we could all have tea together now…"

The idea startled the dark haired woman. In all honesty, she'd really like to have tea with the two women she so cherished, but the current situation felt kind of untimely for her. The two women had just been reunited after what seemed to be a painful parting. She realized that in this very moment, Nel and Clair were trying to fix everything and anything that had happened between them, to heal each other, and she felt that she'd be just in the way. Her eyes flashed to look at Nel's. There didn't seem to be any objection reflected in Nel's expression, but she couldn't actually judge because the spy was something of a mystery to her.

Nel, for her part, really didn't object the idea. In fact, she thought that it was a good idea for Clair to be with someone other than her, because she realized that, for the runologist's still-wavering state of mind, her presence was somewhat unstable. Clair seemed to still have hidden doubts of her presence and life, judging from how she had just had a nightmare about her death. Yvikka's presence was more stable because Clair firmly believes this person to be alive, and that in and of itself might help to assure her that she _was_ there with her.

_Probably,_ Nel thought, _If she sees me with someone whom she believes to be alive… that will help her to believe that I really am here with her…_

"Is that okay with you, Nel?" Clair asked her, breaking the brief moment of silence.

"I don't see why not," Nel answered.

Clair smiled at the answer, and then turned to her dark-haired friend, "Will that be okay with you, Yvikka?"

"I-if that is what you want, I… have no objections at all," Yvikka stammered, surprised as she was jerked out of her thought by the question.

"Then… I'll be making the tea. Where do you want to have it, Lady Clair? I'll take it there as soon as I'm done," Yvikka asked as she regained control over herself.

"Here is okay," the runologist answered.

"I agree," Nel followed suit as pale brown eyes turned to her.

"Very well, then. Please find yourselves some seats. Oh, by the way, how do you want your tea, Lady Clair? The usual way, or…"

"The usual way, please."

"And you, Lady Nel?" Yvikka asked.

"Plain tea, a little sugar," was the prompt answer.

"Okay, order taken," the dark haired woman said heartily. As she turned back to the tea, she overheard Nel asking about her knowing Clair's tea preference, and then Clair's response.

"Did you forget, Nel? I told you she was once my aide, and it was she who made me tea every morning."

"Well, I never have anyone made me tea. Farleen's tea doesn't really suit my tastes," Nel said, "In fact, it's kind of horrible."

She heard Clair giggle at the redhead's last sentence. The two women were still conversing as they settled into chairs somewhere behind her, but she no longer heard them, as the tea demanded her attention, and she didn't want to make a stupid mistake with it.

---

"I must say that you make a very good tea, Yvikka," Nel commented after taking a sip of her tea.

"I told you so, Nel," said Clair, taking another sip, and went on, "Her tea is probably the best in Aquaria."

Yvikka flushed at the praises given to her, especially since they were given by the people she admired, and answered like a timid girl.

"R-really…?"

"Well… at the least, this is better than any tea I've ever tasted," Nel remarked again, "Why don't you take a seat and join us here?"

"Uh… okay."

The Chain Legion commander pulled up another chair, and, completely forgetting the sword still hanging from her waist, tried to sit. The sword struck the chair, surprising its owner, throwing her off balance before finally sending her to a seat… on the floor, and not without a shriek. Clair laughed softly as she watched her usually composed friend reduced to a clumsy girl, though just for mere seconds. Nel had her mouth covered with her hand, but her shaking shoulders revealed the fact that the scene amused her as well.

"Yvikka… you should take your sword off before attempting to sit…" Said Nel.

"But what about you, Nel? You never take those swords of yours off when doing nearly anything, and you've never seemed bothered in the slightest," Clair commented, reminded of one of her beloved's habits.

"Well… short swords are designed for concealment and more mobility, whereas long swords aren't," Nel responded methodically.

Yvikka was so embarrassed that she couldn't say a thing. She just took her sword off and sat, only to find the light brown and green depths were directed at her. Everything went silent all of a sudden, but that one moment of tranquility broke as Clair giggled at her again, and Yvikka couldn't help but join the laughter.

In the next few moments, the three commanders were engaged in light conversation, which they hadn't had since the day of their painful parting. During the talk, Nel subtly tried to dig up more about the Chain Legion commander.

"When I think about it," Nel began, "It seems that you come from the northern region. Am I right, Yvikka?"

"Yes… I was born in the small town of Armenee, in the northernmost part of Aquaria," Yvikka answered.

"So that's where your tea comes from," said the redhead, "Northern people are well-known for their tea. They can make a good tea out of any kind of leaves."

"Wow, Nel," Clair lifted her voice, "How do you know that she came from the north? I myself needed to look at her resume to find that out."

"Easy," was the response, "It's in her name. I know that northern natives have a unique naming system—they insert a special name between the given name and the family name of the child that signifies the order in which the child is born. It is very uncommon today, but some people still have that kind of name, like the queen."

"Oh, I see," the runologist murmured, then turned at her dark haired friend, "Your name is Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf—I take it that 'Yvikka' is your given name and 'Yrsenlaf' is your family name… then, what does 'eté' mean, by the way?"

"It means 'the only'. I am the only child in my family."

"How is your family?" Nel asked her.

The question was met by a brief silence from Yvikka. 'Family' was actually one topic she always tried to avoid when talking to people, but she decided that she wouldn't want to ruin the joy, so she answered.

"My family…" Yvikka muttered, "My mother was a captain in the Demon Hunter Legion. She was… killed in action when I was younger. My father raised me thereafter… but was taken by disease, not long after I joined the army. Other than my parents and my Legion… I know of no other relatives."

It was Nel's turn to be silent. It occurred to her that the dark haired woman shared their fate of having their families taken away from her.

"I'm sorry," Nel managed, and then took another drink of the slowly cooling tea, feeling slightly uneasy for bringing the topic up. She stole a glance at the Chain Legion commander, and continued her inquiries, beginning another topic.

"I take it that you meet Clair in the army. Am I right?"

"Yes," Yvikka replied, still not realizing that she was actually being interrogated, "I met her first when I was still a trainee, and she was a squad captain, but I got to know her personally when I was given the assignment to be her aide in the Shield Legion."

"You met me before I became a commander?" It was Clair's turn to ask.

"I did."

"When was it… or what happened at that time?"

"That is… something that I don't want to talk about," Yvikka answered lowly, but she then realized that her answer might bring gloom to this lively atmosphere, so she added quickly in the opposite tone and with a forced smile, "It's something embarrassing, truly."

"Sorry I even asked," said Clair, noticing her friend's dark tone, "It just… Well, when I first saw you in the Shield Legion garrison… I had thought that I had seen you before that. It turns out that I really had."

"'Something embarrassing'? Something like you falling off your chair because you forget to take off your sword before sitting?" Nel blurted out in hopes of livening up the mood, which was met by a round of laughter from all of them.

---

"So…" Clair asked as she finished her tea, "What are your plans for tomorrow, Yvikka?"

"I had planned to go to Aquios… to attend Lady Nel's ceremonial funeral," Yvikka replied, and then turned to Nel, "Just so you know, Lady Nel, your death was officially announced yesterday, and your funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon."

"Don't go there, then," said Nel, "Because I'm going to go to Aquios with Fayt and others, to meet the queen and inform her of my condition."

"I see… Then I can probably arrange a transport for…"

"There's no need," Nel cut her sentence short, "A transport will require escorts, in case it gets attacked by fiends, and from the looks of things here, you don't seem to have any spare soldiers. It is easier for us to defend ourselves when we're not encased in a carriage, and we're fine with walking."

The Chain Legion commander looked thoughtful for a moment, and then went on, "But what about your personal belongings, Lady Nel? I mean… since we can't retrieve your body… your possessions will be buried in your place. Won't it be better for you to get there before they are buried?"

It was Nel's turn to look thoughtful. Burying one's possessions in his or her grave was a common practice when the deceased person's body couldn't be retrieved for the funeral. She had seen it many times, and now it was happening to her. She might not look like it, but the spy did have precious items that held certain value to her among her personal possessions. In normal circumstances, she would have a fit if someone touched her possessions without her consent, much less buried them, but in this case, she saw no reason to be mad.

"Even if we go there in a transport," the spy finally answered, "we will reach Aquios slightly after midday, by which the ceremony will probably be over already. If each of us can ride lum, we can make it faster, but Fayt cannot ride lum, and it is unlikely that the others could, either."

"But at least, let me get there first to inform—"

"Please don't worry about that," Nel cut in again, "I want to inform the queen personally… as a token of my responsibility for everything that has happened. I have some things to discuss with the queen, too," the redhead paused for a while, and then continued, "If it's about my possessions, don't worry. I'll dig them up myself if I need to."

"Very well, then…" Yvikka sighed, giving in to the redhead's arguments, "In any case, it is pointless to try to get there before the ceremony begins, because it is said that attending one's own funeral is a sign of bad luck."

"That it is," Nel added with a rare smile.

As her friend and her beloved were conversing, Clair was actually lost in thought. She saddened by the mention of Nel leaving for Aquios. Though Nel had mentioned her leaving to her before, the thought still hurt her. Sleeping and waking up without the redhead by her side would likely torture her. The demon of Nel's death was still there, she knew, and, to be totally honest, she needed Nel to fight it out.

Nel fixed her dear friend with a knowing look. She knew that Clair still needed her presence, and she honestly didn't want to leave Clair so soon, but the odds were against her. This world, the world where Clair lived, and her home, was on the verge of annihilation by this so-called 'Creator', and she, as well as Fayt and the others, were racing against the time to stop it.

_Game or not… I will protect you. I swear it, Clair…_

_But… I have to leave you to do so…_

_Maybe… if I tell her… she'll understand._

_But…_

Nel sighed at the thought of telling her friend about what that happened out there, but decided against it for the moment. She knew too well that to her people, whatever she'd encountered during her journey with Fayt would more than likely be considered nonsensical, ridiculous, incomprehensible, and possibly even rebellious. She then lifted her face and called to her friend.

"Clair…"

"Uh, yes, Nel?" Clair answered hastily, slightly surprised as Nel's voice broke her train of thought.

"You look tired. Do you want to rest in your room now?"

"Yes, Nel… I guess…"

"Let's go, then…"

Nel finished her tea, and turned to the dark haired woman beside her.

"Well, Yvikka, I've got to go now. Clair needs to rest, and I need to prepare for the journey tomorrow. I'll see you again tomorrow, I guess."

"I understand, Lady Nel. It's late in the night already, anyway."

"Thank you for the tea and time, Yvikka," Clair thanked her friend, "It was wonderful."

"You're welcome, Lady Clair. It was my pleasure to be of service. Oh… if you don't mind, I'll bring the tea to your room."

"Yes, please," Nel answered, "We might need it."

A moment later, the three commanders were in Clair's room. Yvikka came in only to bring the tea to the room. Just as she was about to leave, Clair called her back.

"Yvikka… I'll be attending tomorrow's morning briefing, and also… I want to look at the report about the Glyphian attack here."

The dark haired commander was speechless at the request. The confusion was apparent to the silver haired commander, so she added, so as not to prolong her friend's bewilderment. "Nel told me about that… when you were busy making the tea," said Clair, smiling.

Yvikka let out a sour smile, and answered, saluting.

"Understood, Lady Clair. Good night, and rest well."

---

The two women had been settled on the bed together for some time. Nel looked at her friend beside her. Clair was still awake, but the uneasy look she had been wearing before was no more, and it relieved her. But then, it was her turn to be wondering. The thought of telling Clair about what she'd learned during her journey came again, but she shook it off, realizing that it wasn't the right time now. Instead, she voiced her other thought to her friend.

"Clair?"

"What is it, Nel?"

"Your friend… Yvikka… Is she a good soldier?"

"To me, she has been a good soldier for as long as I can remember," Clair replied, "If she isn't, why would I recommend her as the commander of the Chain Legion in the first place?"

"Ah… yes, you're right."

Clair then turned to see at her beloved more clearly. When she thought about it, Nel had acted a bit different when the three of them were conversing. She knew that Nel didn't know Yvikka well, and usually, unless in an interrogation, the spy never bothered to spend much time talking to someone she didn't know well. In the conversation they had had before, however, Nel talked more to the dark haired woman, as if she was interested in her.

"What do you think of her yourself, Nel?" Clair asked back.

"I think… she is a good soldier, too."

"It seems that you're interested in her," the runologist asked again.

"Yes, frankly," Nel answered, "Soldiers like her don't come around too often. It's been too long since the last time I saw a good soldier. Why did you send her to the Chain Legion, by the way? I think it would have been better if she'd stayed with you."

"You know, Nel. The Shield Legion is mainly a runological corps and its main force is comprised of runologists. Yvikka doesn't have adequate runological aptitude to make her part of the main force, at least that's what her evaluation said. If she stayed, her rank would have only gone as far as becoming the guard captain, whose responsibility is to protect the runologists, with no hope of advancing further. I thought it would be a significant waste of talent, so I sent her to the Chain Legion where she could learn more, as well as have more responsibility… But, Nel… why would you ask such questions? It's not that I mind, but… it's not like you to bother about someone you don't really know well."

The spy turned, looking at her dearest friend eye to eye, giving her a small smile. She then took in another deep breath and answered.

"Clair…" She started, "You know I'm going to leave you again for some time... A time during which I won't be able to see you, or protect you should trouble come. Not that I don't trust in your abilities, but… you're still weak, Clair. It worries me that I have to leave you while you're still like this, so I want to…" Nel paused as her mind trailed off, and then refocused, "I want to make sure… that you're with someone capable, someone whom I know can help you."

Nel's words touched the beautiful runologist. Her beloved was worried about her, and that put her slightly off of her usual stride, just to make sure that she stayed safe.

"And you think Yvikka is capable enough?" Clair managed another question.

Though uncertainty was still there, Nel nodded.

The silver haired runologist smiled, shifting even closer to her dearly loved warrior and spoke softly.

"Nel… Yvikka is my friend. She's an able person and I'm certain that she'll help me even if I don't ask her to. But more importantly, Nel… you said that your 'home' is wherever I happen to be, and as long as you have a home to come back to, you're going to do everything in your power to keep coming back. That's a promise that I'll hold on to, and in doing so… I, too have to do something. I am going to do everything in my power to be here for you, to welcome you home… that's the promise I give you, Nel. I love you, and I would never let you be homeless, so… please don't worry about me here. Just do your best to keep your promise, because I will do the same in return."

Nel felt tears stinging in her eyes, and it took nearly all of her will to hold them back. Clair's tender words had moved her so deeply that she felt almost guilty for not believing in her friend. The redhead's hand went around the other woman's body, holding the runologist's slim figure tightly in a warm, caring embrace.

_Clair has never broken a promise… and she will not break this one, either…_

"Oh, Clair…" Nel whispered lowly, "I'm sorry… so sorry…"

"It's fine, Nel… It's me who's sorry… for being weak and making you worried…"

_You might be physically weak now, Clair, but you're never really weak._

"You're never weak, Clair…"

Clair smiled at her beloved's encouraging words. She then nuzzled deeper into Nel, murmuring softly.

"Good night, my love."

"Good night… Clair."


	10. The Reckoning of Will

Disclaimers # 1: Star Ocean is not mine. It is the rightful property of Square-Enix's. The only things I can claim ownership here are my OCs.

Disclaimers # 2: This fanfiction is based on another fanfiction titled Two Soldiers: Fire and Ice authored by Artemis' Bow, therefore, our plots may cross at some certain points. To those who are new to this story, it is highly recommended for you to read Artemis' Two Soldiers as well if you want to get a better grasp to this story. A very special thanks to Artemis' Bow, for her approval, help and support have made this fic possible. If you like this story, half of the credit shall go to her.

Author's Note: Okay… once again… a lengthy update. For those who've been waiting long, I want to express my deepest apology. I put all my efforts in this chapter—hope this can compensate for the lame update. Also, I want to express my sincerest thanks for those have reviewed this story, and also for those keep coming back to read this. As always, I implore you all to keep giving me reviews. Critics are most welcome, but nonsensical flames will surely be extinguished and laughed at.

All that said, now, the only thing left is… Happy reading. Hope you find this enjoyable

**The Third Soldier: Another Heart**

**Chapter 9**

**The Reckoning of Will**

Arias base camp manor, evening.

"Commander Yvikka, it's Sisera. May I come in?"

The familiar voice of her faithful aide made the Chain Legion commander look up curiously from the reports she was working on. It was not unusual for an aide to come looking for her commander, as she might need to report something or other, but it was only just after the evening briefing—everything was supposed to have been reported already; which meant that the aide's arrival was definitely to talk about something not discussed in the briefing.

"Come on in," Yvikka answered.

At her commander's response, Sisera opened the door, and closed it again once she was inside the room. She then stepped closer to her commander, her hand lifting in salute.

"At ease, Sisera. What is it that you want to talk me about?"

"A letter has just arrived from Aquios. It's from Lady Nel," the brunette aide answered, handing a scroll to her commander, the Crimson Blade's crest sealing it.

"… Lady Nel… ?"

Yvikka took the scroll from her aide, ripped the seal, and opened it. It turned out to be a letter of summon, and it made her wonder even more. The commander had received many such letters, yet she had never received one from a Crimson Blade. Clair Lasbard was also a Crimson Blade, but whenever the silver-haired woman called for her, it was usually in her capacity as the commander-in-chief of the Aquarian military in Arias. Moreover, the letter didn't explain the purpose of the summons.

_Why in the world would Lady Nel call for me?_

Though confused, she knew that she had to comply. A Crimson Blade's order had priority second only to the queen's order, and should not be hampered by anyone or anything but the queen herself. The commander wrapped the scroll up again, put it aside, looking at her aide in the eye before finally speaking.

"Sisera…"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Lady Nel has summoned me to Aquios… I am expected to be there immediately, so I might as well leave early tomorrow morning. I might not have the chance to do the morning briefing," the dark haired commander explained.

"I understand, commander. I'll be taking over your duties, then," Sisera answered.

"I don't know for what reason I am being called, but this may take several days… Will that be alright with you?" Yvikka added.

The brunette aide smiled at her commander and answered, "Commander… with all due respect… you can be weird sometimes."

"What does that mean, Sisera?" The commander asked. A small smile crept its way to her lips at the remark.

"I mean… you have your duties, and I have mine. As your aide, part of my duties is to take over your duties when you're unable to attend to them. Why would you ask if it's all right with me for me to do my duty?" Sisera replied.

Yvikka chuckled at her aide's comment. Sisera was right on the mark. It was kind of silly for a commander to ask her subordinate whether he or she is all right with doing his or her job. In the world of a soldier, it was always 'do or die', and there was hardly any place for such concern.

"You're right, Sisera… That I asked you that is indeed weird," Yvikka managed to answer, which was followed by a round of laughter from both soldiers.

---

Castle Aquaria, the following day.

Nel Zelpher stood firmly near the castle gates by herself. Fayt and others had gone to enlist help from certain 'inventors' to do some 'invention' business. She had been with them in the workshop the other day, but only to tinker with her own pair of short swords. As soon as she finished refining them, she left immediately, saying that she needed to attend to Clair, who was currently being treated in the castle.

And today, she was waiting for one person.

The redhead sighed at the thought of her reasons for summoning Yvikka. This was one of the few moments where she felt unsure. Unsure of what she should do.

Unsure of her reasons.

Unsure of herself.

_Clair…_

She was worried about Clair, and that drove her to this uncertainty. She had seen it the other day, during their journey from Arias to Aquios. Her friend had been attacked by a fiend, and the runologist had barely been able to defend herself at the time. It was not that Clair couldn't fight at all; she was tired, and she was not in any condition to take such a long journey, much less fight. That one occasion got to the young spy, and she felt the urgency of making sure that Clair stayed safe during her leave overwhelming her. She sighed again, her thoughts flashing back to her private meeting with the queen the other day.

**(Flashback)**

Nel Zelpher was in her queen's personal chamber, personally meeting with her ruler, hoping to get the answers she so desperately needed.

The queen looked at her most trusted Crimson Blade eye to eye with equal concern. She had always known Nel to be a somewhat impenetrable, stoic woman closed off from all but a few people. Right now, however, the queen could see apparent chaos in those green eyes, which she wasn't accustomed to seeing. Nel had explained herself, and that she would have to leave Aquaria again, which she could understand, and she had given Nel her consent. One thing that was still problematic was Clair Lasbard.

"… I understand your concern about Lady Clair," the queen finally said, "I, too, am worried about her. She's still physically weak, and I don't think that she could really handle Arias in her present condition. However, I can't deny the fact that Lady Clair's consideration is accurate. We're short on able hands because of the war, and there's no one here who is as knowledgeable about Arias as she is. Her position in Arias might well be irreplaceable at present."

"But… how about Yvikka, the Chain Legion commander? She had done well enough taking over Clair's position in Arias, and… she's been ordered to take Clair's place as well," Nel rebutted.

"Yes… but it was Magistrate Laselle's order. Not an order, actually. It was more of a request, since the fulfillment of the order also requires Lady Clair's consent, and I heard that she refused it. Moreover, Lady Yvikka might be needed in Peterny, given the recent signs of unrest there. I doubt that she could fully assume command over Arias."

"Yes, but…"

_Could Your Majesty please issue your order for Clair's replacement?_

Nel didn't dare to speak that aloud. Though she was a Crimson Blade, she was by no means comfortable with asking something more from her queen. Her shoulders slumped, her eyes downcast.

The queen, for her part, saw how defeated her bravest warrior was, and was slightly surprised by it. It occurred to her that Nel was deeply concerned about the silver haired commander. Nel and Clair were among the few people whom she trusted most. She trusted them, and they returned her trust without fail time and again. With that in mind, Romeria zin Emurille, or Aquaria XXVII, decided to entrust the problem to them. But it was not for the sake of the kingdom or anything else, but for the good of the two servants she trusted most and held in the highest esteem.

"Even if I issue an order for her replacement," the queen's voice broke through the silence, "Lady Clair might question it, or even disagree with it. She's… just as stubborn as her father, as you may know. I don't think that she'll be pleased with that."

Nel hung her head even lower. She knew her friend well enough to know that what her queen had said could possibly happen. Clair was just as stubborn as her father, and there would be no changing that. On top of that, Clair would never want to leave her soldiers behind.

"There is a way, however," the queen lifted her voice again, which made Nel look up. The look in her green eyes was that of intense hope.

"I was thinking that it might be better if we leave things as they are now. Lady Clair will resume her command over Arias, and Lady Yvikka will be helping her there for an indefinite period of time," said the queen.

"Your Majesty…" Nel murmured.

"However," the queen cut the spy short, "I'll leave it up to you to manage and clarify things."

Nel straightened in a surprise, speaking softly, "Your Majesty… with all due respect, what do you mean by that?"

The noble woman smiled at her servant and answered, "Lady Yvikka certainly has also been informed about Peterny, and I believe that she's been expecting to be ordered to handle the situation there. If her order stays unchanged, she might be wondering, and you will brief her about that. Also, since handling both Peterny and Arias in the current situation will be quite a workload for Lady Yvikka, you might also want her consent… but be it by order or by request, it is all up to you. Or if you can convince Lady Clair to be willing to be reassigned, inform me of it, and I'll issue the order. You have my consent beforehand to do everything you need to do."

Nel's green eyes widened, surprised once again by her ruler's words. She honestly never expected that the queen would entrust the problem to her. The redhead slowly opened her lips, wanting to ask her queen why, but was halted as the queen rose from her chair.

The Aquarian ruler stood up, walking farther away before stopping by the window, her back turned to her servant, and spoke.

"You don't need to ask why, Lady Nel. I'm leaving this up to you and Lady Clair because I want you—both of you—to work on the concerns and worries in a way that can please both of you."

"But, my queen, I can't—"

"I know," the queen cut in, "I know that you're not feeling really comfortable with such freedom in your hands. There's no need to feel that way. You two have been working hard for me, and this is my way to return the favor. Please, Lady Nel… just this once, don't think about this kingdom or anything else. Instead, try to think more about yourself and your friend. Whatever decision you make on this matter, make sure that both you and Lady Clair are content with it."

**(End of flashback)**

Nel couldn't talk back to the queen's last words. In all honesty, she sometimes wanted such freedom to do things as she pleased, for Clair's sake. Now she had it, but she still wasn't sure what to do. She had tried to convince Clair to leave Arias to someone else, but to no avail. The runologist was just too stubborn to take a break, saying that she had 'slept' too much during her catatonia, and she missed work. Nel realized that the commander actually felt guilty for 'leaving' her soldiers and making her friend take on the burden of keeping her soldiers together. Clair's sense of duty and responsibility was stronger than the walls of any fortress, and that was what drove her to such lengths and not letting herself rest.

Eventually, Nel gave in to Clair's decision because she didn't want to impose her will on her friend. The queen's last suggestion flashed into her mind, and so she quickly wrote a letter of summon to Yvikka, which she entrusted not to the regular royal messenger, but to one of her own operatives, knowing that they would make it faster.

All that had happened the day before.

_Is this the right thing to do? _Nel thought. _I could just order someone… maybe Tynave, or Farleen, or Chloe, to watch over Clair, but…_

Nel took another sigh, this time deeper. She was considering ordering one of her subordinates to look after her precious friend instead of asking Yvikka, to keep her safe should trouble come, but it wasn't like just anyone would do. Tynave and Farleen were her best operatives, and Clair was well-acquainted with them, but both of them had a tendency to be rash at times—which could annoy her to some extent. Chloe was also among her best agents, but Clair didn't know her well, and Chloe didn't really know Clair, either. Her hopes then fell back on the Chain Legion commander. She was a good soldier, Nel had no doubt of that now. Yvikka's military record was nearly flawless, and her deeds in defending Arias were also proof of that. Moreover, Yvikka was also Clair's friend, so they had known each other.

A friend might well do better in protecting his or her friend.

Even though she had decided to ask for Yvikka's aid, Nel still had another problem to deal with.

"Lady Nel."

The voice calling her name broke her chain of thought. She turned, finding one of the castle gate guards looked at her, concerned. The soldier looked hesitant for a moment, but managed.

"Lady Nel… if I may suggest, wouldn't it be better for you to wait in your room? When Lady Yvikka arrives, I'll let you know as soon as possible."

"No, I'll wait for her here," Nel replied, letting out a rare smile, "I also feel like being here as well. It's been a long time… but, thank you for your concern anyway."

"I understand, Lady Nel. My apologies."

The redhead nodded faintly at the soldier, and then turned, diverting her gaze to the city's main streets, completely unheeding the soldier's questioning look at her.

Not long after, Nel spotted the person she was waiting for.

Standing out in the crowd, Yvikka made her way toward the castle while guiding her steed. She saw Nel as well, obviously waiting for her. As soon as she got to the Crimson Blade, she lifted her hand to her chest, saluting.

"Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf is hereby fulfilling your summons, ma'am."

Nel replied to the soldier's salute in a similar manner, and spoke.

"Thank you for making it this quickly, Yvikka."

"It was my pleasure, milady."

"Yes… well, you must be tired from the journey," Nel said, "I have prepared a guest room in the castle for you. Please get some rest. We will have many things to discuss later."

This was not something that Yvikka had expected. She had been summoned, and she had thought it must be about work. During the brief times she worked together with the spy, whenever 'work' was involved, Nel was always stern and straight to the point. However now, Nel didn't seem to show such features. The dark haired woman then put her thoughts aside, thinking that she was in no place to judge for she didn't really know Nel well, and complied.

Still, she couldn't help but feel that Nel was slightly off her usual stride today.

"Um… very well, milady. Thank you… for your consideration."

---

It had been some time since the Chain Legion commander settled herself rather uneasily in the room assigned to her. Not that the room wasn't comfortable enough, but she couldn't help thinking about many things—the purpose of her summons, as well as Nel's rather atypical behavior today. She then came out of the room, intending to take a little walk around the hallway rather than sitting and doing nothing.

Not more than a few steps away from the door of her room, she came across someone to whom she saluted.

"Your Eminence Rozaria," the commander greeted, giving the priestess a salute with a bow.

"The grace of Apris be with you," the young priestess returned the soldier's greeting. She then looked at the other woman who greeted her, a questioning look on her face. But the look didn't last for long.

"Lady Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf, of the Chain Legion?" The priestess asked.

"I am," was the answer.

"I knew it," said Rozaria, "Oh, I haven't thanked you enough for all the help you gave us back in Peterny. Had you not ordered replacement lums, the casualties might have been higher."

Yvikka smiled faintly. The priestess was referring to the time when the party carrying the casualties from the celestial ship's attack on the frontline was forced to stop in Peterny due to exhaustion. The priestess, Rozaria, happened to be in the town at that time, and she had been with her in the effort to help the wounded and dying.

"I'm honored, Your Eminence. You did well, if not better yourself back then," answered the soldier.

"Nah, never mind about that. What brings you here today, anyway?"

"Lady Nel summoned me."

"Nel… I see," the priestess murmured, then took a step closer toward the soldier before her, speaking softly.

"Speaking of her… you are with her in Arias all this times, right?"

The soldier, slightly surprised by the sudden question, answered, "H-huh? Oh… Yes, n-not while she disappeared, though."

"Have you noticed anything different or strange about her?" Rozaria asked again.

"I-I beg your pardon, Your Eminence, but what do you mean by that?" Yvikka questioned back in a slight confusion.

The young priestess looked up into the night-black eyes before her in response, thinking. All of a sudden, her eyes widened as if a sudden realization had crashed down hard on her mind, and her voice came in apology.

"Oh! Oh, I-I'm sorry… Of course you don't know… You don't know Nel really well. You don't even belong to her unit."

Yvikka frowned, now even more confused. She couldn't really comprehend this line of conversation about Nel 'being different'. Of course, she wasn't the right person to talk about that now, because she really didn't know the redhead really well, while the young priestess before her seemed to have known Nel for quite some time, judging from how casually she referred to her.

When she thought about that, however, Nel really did seem different from what she'd heard, even from the first time she met her.

"I beg your pardon, Your Eminence, but what is this all about? Is there something the matter about Lady Nel?" The commander managed through her confusion.

"I'm sorry," answered Rozaria, "Curiosity got the best of me… There's a rumor going around… and… Oh, forget about it. I'm sorry for asking and making you confused. I…"

Yvikka was about to ask something, but the sound of the chapel's bell broke through, saving the priestess from the question.

"Ah, the bell has rung," Rozaria said in relief, "I have a service duty to attend. I'll see you later, Yvikka."

The soldier could only watch as the priestess excused herself rather clumsily, then walked away from her. She sighed, finding herself wondering about the conversation she'd just had.

_Lady Nel… being 'different'?_

_Well, not that I don't feel the same. The more I talk to Lady Nel, the more I find her to be 'different' than what I've heard about her… But that's only natural, right? People are different than you heard about them when you actually meet them._

_But today… Lady Nel…_

"I see that you've met Rozaria."

The familiar voice took her completely by surprise that it literally jerked her out of her contemplation. She turned in a flash, finding Nel's intense green eyes directed at her.

"L-L-L-Lady Nel," Yvikka stammered, bringing her hand up in a salute instinctively, "I-I didn't know that you were here."

"I've just gotten here myself," the Crimson Blade answered calmly, gesturing casually in answer to the other soldier's salute, "It seems that you've met Rozaria before this."

"Yes, Lady Nel. I met her before in Peterny. We even worked together for a brief time there," the commander, now calmer than before, answered, and then asked a question of her own.

"Is she your acquaintance, Lady Nel?"

"Actually, we've been friends for years," Nel answered, "Anyway; I will need you to go with me to someplace discreet now. We have some… sensitive things to discuss. Are you ready to go?"

"I'm always ready, milady," was the prompt answer.

"Very well. Let us go, then."

---

Not long after, the two commanders had already made their move. Though Nel said that their destination wasn't too far away from the city, they opted to ride there because it was much faster, as time was of importance as well. Riding on the backs of their steeds, they blazed across the plains. It didn't take long for them to reach their destination:

The path to the Aquatic Garden Surferio.

"We've arrived," Nel said coolly as she dismounted from her lum. She then guided her mount to a nearby tree, and tied it up there.

Yvikka didn't dismount immediately. Instead, she looked around cautiously. The ground she was on now seemed to be just a part of Irisa Fields and nothing more; but her senses told her that this place was more than it appears.

"What is this place?" Asked the dark-haired woman.

"Don't worry about this place," the redhead answered, noticing her companion's cautious tone, "This ground is actually an entrance to an ancient ruin. There's quite a mass of runological force at work here, so it might feel a bit… odd. Other than that, it is prudent to say that this place is safe from monsters and suspicious individuals alike."

"I see," was the response. Yvikka then got down from her lum as well, and tied it up near Nel's lum.

Nel led her fellow commander deeper into the fields in silence. From time to time, the spy stole glances at the soldier beside her, examining her.

Yvikka walked confidently, her posture upright and proud with no sign of fear or doubt. Her eyes, dark as a moonless night, scanned the whole vicinity, aware of even the slightest hint of trouble. Her face, however, was cool and calm, thus belying her alerted state. Her hand rested near her sword; ready to draw the blade should the situation demand. Nel found her just right.

_Even though I've said that this place is safe, she doesn't let up. Always alert and ready… Peterny really got her, I see._

Nel remembered that Peterny, where the Chain Legion was in charge of, was an important strategic city. It was no exaggeration to say that Peterny was like Aquaria's second capital. The city was so well-situated that many wanted to have power over it, and not only foreign countries wanted that; even its own people, at times, wanted Peterny to be independent from Aquaria. Uprisings had almost become routine there—even in the most peaceful of times, the Chain Legion always had work to do.

_She is tempered by such a situation… well, no wonder about it._

"Have you ever faced an assassination attempt, Yvikka?" Nel asked suddenly.

"Huh? Oh, yes, I have," Yvikka answered.

"… And many times, I guess," the redhead added.

"Yes, frankly… but, Lady Nel, how do you know about that?" Yvikka asked back.

Nel then stopped, turned to face her companion, and spoke.

"Your posture said all that."

"My posture?"

Nel smiled faintly, tilting her head, "Well, you act as if there's someone who will jump out of the blue and attack you at any time."

Yvikka couldn't say a word, since she didn't know how to respond to her superior's observation. Before she could come up with anything, the redhead before her spoke again.

"Well, there's no need to answer that. I know what Peterny is like. Someone in your position has always been a likely target for a murder attempt should an uprising surface. Anyway, about your town…"

Nel paused for a moment before continuing. The changing look on her face warned the other soldier that this would be a serious matter.

"… I take it that you've been informed of Peterny's situation."

"Yes, I have," Yvikka replied, "There are signs of unrest there recently. The extremist factions are building up power and confidence ever since the rumor of your demise arose… However, as I heard from my legion before going here, there's been some indications of distrust and uncertainty among them; thus hampering their effort. The cause of that is likely to be… your appearance in the city."

"Exactly, and that is what we're going to discuss now," Nel said, making clear the point of the talk to follow.

"I believe that this must be about my reassignment to handle the situation there, milady?" Yvikka guessed.

Nel smirked under her scarf, "No, it's not. This is about something even far more serious."

"What is it, milady?"

"It's about you," Nel said coldly, "I heard from my agents in Peterny… that you're actually…"

Yvikka's heart skipped a beat as she waited for the redhead to finish her sentence, for she saw it through Nel's features, hints of suspicions and doubts; warning her that this might not be good.

"… in league with the rebelling merchants."

The finishing sentence shook the dark haired woman to her very heart. For a moment, she couldn't think of what to say to disprove the charge. The unnerving glare of the intense green orbs was fixed to her jet black eyes, as if demanding an immediate answer. The only words to answer that were the words of cliché defense.

"Nonsense."

"Is that all you can say about this?" Nel challenged her.

"I can't honestly say anything about something that I have no knowledge of," was the soldier's answer; her voice trembled with anxiety, despite her composed disposition.

Nel sighed, wrapping her arms across her chest in her typical pose, "I find it hard to believe myself… for one such as you," the spy paused, casting the sharp look she always used in facing her adversaries onto the other soldier, and continued.

"Nevertheless, I can't leave this matter unattended. This is serious."

"What to do, then?" Yvikka asked.

"Under normal circumstances," Nel answered, "I'd like to look into this matter personally, as I can't dismiss the other possibilities—such as inaccurate intelligence, or a scheme to bring you down. Unfortunately…" Nel paused again, and then continued.

"Time is not a luxury that I have. Therefore, I might as well order your detention for the time… until the matter is cleared."

Nel's words were clear, and Yvikka realized the probable consequence she might face should nothing be done to clear her name. With that in mind, she uttered a question.

"Is there… nothing that I can do about it?"

"Personally speaking, I don't like this situation myself. However, I cannot just let you go around freely… considering the situation, but I'll give you a chance."

"A chance?"

"Yes… consider this my thanks for all that you've done in Arias," said Nel, "But don't think I'm going to just let you walk away from this. You have to prove yourself first."

"And in what way can I prove myself to you?"

"This way…"

With one smooth, controlled motion, Nel drew her shorter blade and pointed it right at Yvikka's face—a challenge to a duel.

"Fight me," Nel made her intention clear, "And show me that you're worthy of my trust."

Though surprised, the dark haired woman suppressed the feelings within her. Her eyes fixed on the point of the blade directed at her, and then to the face of the one holding it. She then closed her eyes, a storm of thoughts going into her mind.

_Can trust really be built through fighting?_

_Can I even fight her?_

_If I refuse, she might just throw me into detention…Can you really do anything if you're stripped of your freedom?_

_No._

As the last thought came, Yvikka slowly opened her eyes, then looked the redhead straight in the eyes. Nel's strong and determined gaze made her certain that the spy wouldn't want to go through this another way, but she asked nevertheless.

"There is… no other way around this, is there?"

"Unless you want to go straight into confinement, no," Nel answered strongly.

The soldier averted her eyes form the spy in response. The thought that came made her decision final.

_I can't protect Lady Clair if I'm confined._

Once again, Yvikka raised her head, her night black orbs tracing back to the green ones, facing them with equal strength of will. Her voice then came, stating her answer.

"As much as I want to prove my innocence, I do not want to fight you, and I never have wanted to. However, my loyalty and honor are in question; I have no other choice but to do anything necessary to make them clear. Therefore… I accept your challenge."

With the words, Yvikka drew her own sword, and pointed it to Nel's face. The challenge was accepted.

"Wise choice," said the redhead, assuming her stance, "Let's begin this."

Silence followed as the two warriors faced one another, blades ready; green and black intertwined, each examining the other. After an indefinite amount of time in stillness, Nel made her charge, signifying the start of the battle.

Sparks flew as the two steel blades clashed. Yvikka could feel Nel's strength vibrating from her _katana_ right onto her arms, and immediately recognized it.

_Despite her small build, she's strong…_

Yvikka shoved her sword against Nel's shorter one, pushing her away, knowing that she'd be in trouble if she let the spy get too close to her. As a golden rule in a fight, the one who is able to manipulate their adversary within their effective attack range has a better chance of winning. For her, it meant that if she were to have a chance of winning, she had to be able to keep the spy within her attack range while keeping herself away from Nel's. The redhead, for her part, didn't let up. She pursued the retreating swordswoman, not letting her to use the advantage of her longer weapon.

_Let's see if you can handle some tricks…_

Nel's blade arced, aiming for Yvikka's chest, only to meet the steel of the other's sword. At that instant, the Crimson Blade put her one foot on the swordswoman's thigh, which then quickly followed by a stomp to the chest, and then to the shoulders, climbing up her as if she was a human ladder before finally flung herself high with a kick on the shoulders. But that was not all; as Nel flipped in the midair, she took out her _kunai_s—four in each hand—and threw them all in waves at the disoriented soldier. To her slight surprise, the last blow didn't connect.

Yvikka saw through Nel's last move. In response, she reached for her sword's sheath with her right hand, drawing it in a slashing motion to deflect the first wave of four knives, which soon followed by another slash from the sword in her left hand to repel the rest. Most of them were successfully stopped, but one got through, leaving a scar on her cheek. Putting the sheath back to her side, she made her own charge, hoping to catch the redheaded spy before she landed. She connected almost perfectly.

Barely setting her feet back on earth, Nel had to put up defense against a fast, rather brutal upward slash from Yvikka's sword. It was so strong that it forced her to give ground in an attempt of defense. This time, it was Nel's turn to recognize her opponent's strength.

_Such strength and skill… This should be interesting._

Deciding to take advantage of the spy's retreat, Yvikka came at her again with another attack, only to strike empty air. Confusion almost took over her as she could no longer see her opponent, but at the command of her trained senses—to which she reacted almost instinctively—she looked upward…

"There!" shouted the swordswoman as she blocked Nel's overhand slash in the last second. The spy's twin daggers stopped less than an inch from her face, which clearly signified a close call. She didn't even have the chance to draw a breath as Nel kicked her chin in a somersault, sending her stumbling back.

Nel didn't stop there; she sprang forward almost as soon as she landed back from the flip, unleashing a fierce lateral slash at her opponent, forcing her to retreat even further. The spy kept on charging almost relentlessly, fully utilizing her advantage of speed as well as the fact that Yvikka couldn't best her in close-to-point-blank range fighting, in which they were currently engaged now. Yvikka, for her part, realized that she was at a loss in such a fight and kept on retreating, all the while parrying the spy's attacks as best as she could. A rain of sparks flew as steel met steel, and the almost deafening noise of the clashing blades filled the ancient ground.

Eventually, Yvikka found herself backed into a tree. She went low just as Nel's roundhouse came high her way, hitting the tree behind her, breaking it. The soldier didn't stop to admire the testament of the spy's strength behind her. Deliberately taking a blow that severed her shoulder plate, she rammed and head-butted the redhead on the forehead. The next attack to follow was an overhand hilt strike aimed for Nel's head, but the spy somehow managed to save her head at the last moment; instead of hitting the head, the blow landed hard on Nel's left shoulder, tearing her shoulder pad as well. With a grunt, the spy disengaged with a kick to Yvikka's chest, distancing herself to assess their stand, as well as reestablish her stance.

Peace returned once again as the two commanders faced each other again, evaluating the result of the previous round. At a glance, Nel seemed to be on the lead as Yvikka's condition outwardly to be the worse of the two; her uniform was torn all over, revealing the armor behind it as the result of dozens of Nel's rapid blows she'd failed to defend against. A faint trickle of blood could be seen in the corner of her lips.

_Lady Nel's faster than before… Is she pacing herself?_

Nel, though seemingly less battered, didn't think that she completely dominated the first round. In fact, she thought that it was very close to a tie by a hair. Surely, she knew that she scored more blows, whereas Yvikka could only score two clean, direct hits. However, those two hits were solid hits that almost changed her bearing, very much unlike her attacks, which were less damaging. Had Nel not worn her shoulder pads, the last hit on her left shoulder might've partially incapacitated her left arm—which might change the tide of the battle.

_You're good, I must admit. Let's pace up a little, shall we?_ The redheaded spy said in her thoughts.

Nel cast a minor healing spell on herself to ease the pain on her head and shoulder, and then charged again—this time slightly faster than before—beginning another round. To her surprise, Yvikka was confident enough to take her head on. The long sword came first, and Nel dodged it rather easily without even slowing down. Just as she was about to attack with her shorter blade, she caught a glimpse of another move—Yvikka's sheath came her way. The sheath hit her right hand by the wrist, preventing it from moving to an attack, immediately followed by a hilt strike aimed for her ribs. She deflected the blow with her longer blade, then quickly disengaged herself from the swordswoman. As she retreated, she saw Yvikka, seemingly determined to keep on the offensive, pursued her. In order to halt her opponent's advance, Nel tossed her other secret weapon: two specially-made shells which break upon contact, spreading cloud of sleeping drug—normally, that would've been poison, but for sparring purposes, she replaced it with a sleeping drug, which could simulate the weakening effect of poison without the risk of killing someone. Yvikka responded by casting a wind spell to ward the poisonous air off, which, to some extent, amazed the spy.

_It seems that you're very much acquainted with such techniques. Very well, I'll see if you can deal with this one._

The Crimson Blade stopped the retreat, deliberately waiting for the soldier to come in close and attack, only to avoid it with one big leap to her adversary's back. As she landed, she did several quick back flips to make more distance. As she flipped for the last time, she spun her body, drawing her longer sword mid-air and, with a battle cry, threw it spinning with all of her might at Yvikka—Flying Guillotine, as she named it, a technique she'd developed during her journey, which, befitting to its name, had downed many of her opponents.

Yvikka turned, only to find a spinning blade flying toward her. She put up her best guard, but the blade broke through it with quite an impact. Though the attack barely caused her any major injury, it nevertheless broke her stance. As she strived to get her bearing back, her senses flared again. She turned back at the warning, surprised upon finding Nel's blade coming back at her without even losing its momentum. Disregarding all efforts to reassume fighting position, she dove to the ground to avoid the returning sword. A faint trace of runology could be sensed as the blade whiffed above her. Apparently, Nel didn't just throw her blade, but she also forged a runological path between her and the blade so that the blade would return to her.

_I know such runological trick, but to use it like this… Lady Nel… you're not a Crimson Blade for nothing._

She didn't have time to marvel as Nel pounced at her again. The Crimson Blade took the air in one big leap, her right hand readying her shorter blade for another blow while her free hand caught the other blade. Seeing this, Yvikka quickly regained her stance, and unleashed her own attack.

Sparks flew, along with the deafening noise of the violent clashing of steel.

Nel landed back rather unsteadily, both of her blades were drawn in a defensive posture, her arms a little numb, her green eyes widened.

_What was that? Could it be… ?_

The spy then quickly reviewed the last moments of the fight. She was in the middle of her jump, attempting for an attack, and Yvikka was right there on the ground. Much to her astonishment, she saw the soldier sheathed her sword, but what's more surprising was that she drew it out again in a slashing motion toward her. That was fast, _very_ fast, even for her trained eyes. She instinctively drew her other blade, and succeeded in blocking it, though barely.

_That technique…_

Once again, Nel contemplated unnoticeably. She worked through her memories, looking over the sword fighting techniques she'd ever read about or even fought against in her opponents. A name came up her mind.

_Battoujutsu… or 'quickdraw technique', an art of fighting from the draw. A style I know about only from books… it's quite rarely to find one really using it in a battle—it is a difficult style to master._

Nel narrowed her eyes, getting more serious in the knowing that she was dealing with something she had little knowledge about. Yvikka's posture confirmed her supposition: Her body leaned forward, her right hand readied in front of the hilt of her sheathed blade, while her left hand was rested on the sheath near by the hilt—the basic characteristics of the quickdraw style. Taking one deep breath, Nel readied herself, deliberately waiting for her adversary to attack first.

After a few seconds of staring at each other, Yvikka decided to make her move. She charged, drawing her sheath—with the blade still sheathed there—in an attacking motion at the spy. At the instant her attack met Nel's blocking blade, she shoved her sheath against the blade with strength enough to slightly disrupt the redhead's stance. Her right hand flashed, drawing her blade out of its sheath, and, with a spin of her torso, slashing it in a full circle at her adversary. Nel jumped back just in time to avoid it, which she did; however, her torn fabric which revealed the grazed breastplate behind it testament how close the spy was from being hit completely. Suppressing a sigh, Yvikka continued her attack, but suddenly, pain shot up her left side.

Her ribs screamed.

An old wound she'd received from the Arias skirmish. It hadn't fully healed; yet, she was now forcing her body to its utmost.

Nel saw an opening when the dark haired soldier stopped attacking. She pushed with a quick palm strike, sending a wave of runological force to the other's body that sent her flying for almost twenty feet away.

_Let's finish this…_

Without giving Yvikka a chance to regain her bearing, the Crimson Blade attacked again; this time, with a technique she'd just started to develop. She concentrated; a surge of runological power ran freely through her veins, enveloping her, giving her a temporary boost of strength, and then charged at the swordswoman. The next second, a mad dance of slashes and kicks came.

The Mirror Slice.

Yvikka could still manage to defend herself from Nel's relentless attacks, though barely. However, a lightning-fast charge of Nel's two swords broke through her defense; her sword thrown up high to the air at the face of the spy's strength. Though stripped of from her sword, Nel saw it through the night-black eyes that the soldier hadn't given up.

And so, Nel decided to make clear her victory with this one last attack.

Nel ran toward the now unarmed soldier, and swung her right-hand blade at her neck. To her surprise, the soldier grabbed her hand by the wrist. The spy then drew her other blade, but before she could even really use it, the swordswoman grabbed the hand holding it as well. With their arms interlocked, the Chain Legion commander mustered all of her remaining strength, and, with a war cry, hauled the slim spy up into an overhand throw.

Yvikka fell to her back after her last attempt. She rolled, trying to get up as quickly as possible, but the pain on her left side obstructed her. Just as she was halfway to her feet, she found Nel's sword pointed at her. She looked up, finding the Crimson Blade standing over her. For a moment, she just stared, exchanging looks with Nel's green eyes. As her mind came into sense, realization came over her. Eventually, she relaxed; loosening all of her tense muscles as well as letting herself feel the pain and fatigue from the battle.

"I… lost…" Yvikka muttered weakly, her eyes downcast.

Nel sighed at her adversary's admission of loss. She sheathed her blades, and then stretched a helping hand to her fellow commander.

"Can you stand?" Asked the redhead.

"Yeah…" The other woman answered wearily. She then took Nel's offered hand, letting her help her stand. Just as she got to her feet, the Crimson Blade pulled her closer.

"You fought well," she remarked.

That was supposed to be praise, but the dark haired woman didn't feel like that in the slightest. No matter how well she'd fought, she still lost. She had lost the battle, and with that, as she thought of it, Nel's trust.

"Lady Nel…" Yvikka replied, "… A suspected conspirator like me… doesn't deserve your praise…"

"Don't be silly," Nel snapped, "Conspirator or not, every genuine effort deserves praise. After all…"

Nel stopped her sentence halfway. She then turned, walked over to pick up Yvikka's sword, handed it over to its wielder, and continued.

"After all… there's no such report of you being in league with those despicable extremists, actually."

Once again, Yvikka was taken aback by the spy's words. It was as if she was playing a mind game with her.

"Wh-what do you mean by that, Lady Nel?"

Nel closed her eyes, her face softening. She didn't plan to keep this farce up any longer. With another smirk under her scarf, she answered her fellow commander's question.

"It was entirely my ploy, all of it. I tricked you."

"Th-then, what was all that about?" Yvikka blurted, very much bewildered.

"I meant to test you… to see what you're really capable of, at least in a fight," Nel answered casually, then went on, "I apologize for the trickery, but I needed to give you a real reason to fight so that you would fight to your fullest. I don't think that we could have a fight like this had I just said 'I want to spar' to you."

Yvikka drew a deep sigh as she came to, at least partially, understand Nel's scheme, and relieved upon finding her name and honor intact. She then received her sword from the spy's hand, and sheathed it again. Lifting up a small smile, she looked up into Nel's eyes, and asked a question.

"Had I not accepted your challenge… what would you have done, Lady Nel?"

"I might have threatened to kill you on the spot," was the spy's immediate answer, "I believe that you wouldn't stand still in the face of that, would you?"

"Lady Nel…" The soldier sighed again. Very much unaccustomed to keeping her thoughts inside, she went on, but not without requesting the Crimson Blade's permission, considering the nature of the matter.

"I request permission to speak freely."

"Granted."

"… Damn you."

Silence came as the words left the soldier's mouth. Yvikka smiled, knowing that she might be considered impertinent, and she knew exactly the consequences for saying such words to someone like Nel, but she didn't care. For her, saying what she felt about something was almost a given, and she was prepared for the consequence. Nel, for her part, was slightly surprised at the much-too-blunt expression, but not offended.

"Is that all you want to say?" Asked the redheaded spy after a period of quiet.

"Yes, Lady Nel. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I appreciate the honesty, by the way."

The two chuckled softly together at the comment. Yvikka, however, couldn't laugh for long because her ribcage screamed again. She winced as pain stung her side, her hand instinctively moving to where the wound was. That got the attention of the other woman, who immediately moved closer and kneeled to see it.

"Let me see that."

"I'm fine, Lady Nel. It's n—Ack!"

Her objection was cut short as Nel pressed her side. The redhead examined the injury, finding that it was actually an old one, and was pleased upon noticing the fact that it wasn't serious. She then chanted a spell and a surge of healing power soon followed.

"It seems to be an old injury… It hasn't reopened, but almost," Nel said, then looked up to meet her fellow commander's eyes, and apologized once again.

"… I'm sorry."

_Had I said that I just wanted to spar, then you wouldn't have forced yourself like this._

Yvikka stayed silent at the apology. She could understand the guilt that her superior felt for causing all this. She knew that, during the war, the Secret Legion commander always took the most dangerous missions herself, and the reason behind that was…

_So that no one has to die or end up wounded on her orders._

_Well, if this suits your purpose, Lady Nel, I don't mind at all._

"This should do for a while," Nel spoke again after she finished patching up Yvikka's injury, "But you'd better have it checked by a doctor immediately, just to be safe," she then stood up, looking at the direction of Aquios, and then back to the dark haired woman again.

"Will that be alright with you if we go back now?" Nel asked.

"Thank you for your concern, Lady Nel. I'm fine, and we can leave whenever you wish."

"Very well."

The two commanders then left the ancient ground which once had been their battlefield, back to their steeds, to Aquios.

---

They were halfway back to the sacred city when the thought came again to Yvikka's mind. She'd intended to ask about it before, but Nel's challenge made her forget about it. She then paced her lum to Nel's side, and called her.

"Lady Nel."

Nel turned her head to face her caller, and answered.

"What is it?"

"… In regard to Peterny's unrest, milady, do you happen to know… whether I'm going to be reassigned back to Peterny or not?" Yvikka worded her question carefully.

"Well, what do you think?" Nel returned the question.

The other commander faltered at the question. With a visible sigh, she managed another question before really answering the redhead's question.

"Pardon me for the question, Lady Nel, but… Lady Clair… she will return to Arias, won't she?"

"You know her, Yvikka," was Nel's response, "You were her aide."

Yvikka went silent at the answer. She knew that her silver haired superior would definitely return there, regardless of anything, even her own health. She also realized that Peterny was her town, and that was where she should've been; but her love and concern for Clair made her want to stay in Arias, if only to ensure her well-being.

"If that's the case, Lady Nel, then… honestly speaking, I want nothing more than to stay with her in Arias, if it could help to ease the strain of her duties there. I… am worried about her. She hasn't been quite herself ever since she recovered. But… now that you've returned, I think my presence there won't be needed anymore, because you'll be there with her."

Nel smiled again; a surge of relief calmed her heart in the knowledge that her companion was fully willing to stay with her precious friend on her own.

"It's quite the contrary, in fact."

"What do you mean?"

"Actually, I'm going to leave again… to go on a journey with Fayt and the others," said the redhead, her voice seeming to drift; but it became strong again as she continued, "There's something dangerous out there… Something that can even threaten the whole universe's existence, and I'm going out to prevent it from harming our world here."

_To prevent it from harming Clair…_Nel's thought drifted.

"And while I'm not here…" The redhead continued, "I want you to stay in Arias and help Clair whenever she needs help… Actually, this is Her Majesty's suggestion, but she left the decision to me. Now that I know you better, I have nothing more to say but to agree."

'_Know me better?' So that's why you put me through this 'test' of yours?_

That thought was never worded.

"… And that means… my orders are unchanged?" The soldier ensured.

"Yes. Of course, I won't leave you and Clair without some help. I've decided to temporarily leave my agents in Peterny under your command. You can use them to gather intelligence in your town, but keep in mind: They will report and take orders to and from you and only you. Not Tynave, not Farleen, but you. Understand?"

"I understand, Lady Nel, but… wouldn't that require me to directly meet the contacts?"

"Don't worry; I have arranged for them to gather in Aquios today. I'll introduce you to them when we get back."

Yvikka sighed; awed by the spy's meticulous preparation despite the shortness of time she'd had upon her return.

_Just like they said… You're always two steps ahead, Lady Nel._

"As you wish, milady."

As they continued their journey back, Yvikka thought about what Nel said about the purpose of her journey—to confront something dangerous and powerful enough to threaten the entire universe. Imagining such a thing was truly beyond her abilities, but she couldn't really say that such thing was nonexistent. There had been many otherworldly things happening during these times, which she had witnessed herself. The coming of the gigantic celestial ship and the discovery of the remains of the alien beings that attacked the Shrine of Kaddan were among a few to mention. After a few quiet moments, she lifted up her voice, wanting to express her support for the redhead.

"You _will_ make it."

"Huh?" Nel exclaimed softly, slightly surprised with her companion's optimistic remark.

"You will make it through whatever you're going into and return here alive, Lady Nel," Yvikka restated her words.

"You're so optimistic," was the redhead's response as she got her what her companion was trying to say.

Yvikka sighed, lifting a small smile, "Honestly, Lady Nel, I don't really understand what you said about 'something that is powerful enough to imperil the entire universe'. Such a thing is beyond even my wildest imagination. All I know is that it is dangerous. I might sound overly optimistic, but it's better than thinking ill possibilities. If it's for a strong and just cause, humans can take on even gods. Apris created us that way. I put my faith in the fact that you'll succeed this time. You've never failed a mission, and you won't fail this one, either."

… _And you'd better not, Zelpher. If you die, I'll never forgive you._

"… And you'd better not, Lady Nel, for Lady Clair's sake," the soldier finished.

Nel was speechless at the face of her companion's words. But she was more surprised by the reflection of genuine trust in her eyes, and the fact that what she'd talked about wasn't generally accepted by people in her world.

"Do you believe that humans can triumph over gods?" Asked the redhead.

"Not actually 'believe', Lady Nel," Yvikka answered, suppressing a giggle, "But in my homeland… there are stories, myths, and legends about people confronting godlike powers… and they prevailed over them. If such legends exist… why can't they be realized?"

"Those are just myths."

"But myths are reflections of people's experiences and beliefs. Surely, they're not meant to be taken literally, but the morals that underlie them are true: human can triumph over even the greatest of odds, as long as they fight it out for just reasons."

_For a strong and just cause… we can take on even gods…_

"Thank you, Yvikka," Nel's response finally came, "And you… I'm leaving Clair with you. Don't fail me."

"I won't, Lady Nel."

---

"Nel! Where have you been? And Yvikka, too!"

Those were Clair's words of welcome as she saw her beloved and her friend return. She paced up to them, wanting to see and get close to her beloved right away, but her steps halted as she saw what that were obviously marks of battle all over them.

"What happened to both of you?" Clair snapped, almost yelling.

"Uh, we…"

"We sparred," Nel cut through her dark haired companion's voice.

"You _sparred_ with her?" Clair asked rhetorically. Before she could say any more, however, another voice came.

"Hi there."

The three Aquarian women turned, finding Fayt and his party—Cliff, Maria, and Sophia—in a condition that was no better than Yvikka's and Nel's: their clothes were torn in some places, plus some burn marks and smell of charcoal.

"Hi, Nel, Lady Clair, and, uh…" Fayt stopped his greeting as he tried to remember the seemingly familiar face of the third soldier standing before him, "I've seen you before, but…"

"My salute, Master Fayt," the soldier in question saluted and answered, "My name's Yvikka. Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf. It's an honor to meet you again."

"Ah, yes, you're the soldier whom I bumped into in Arias," Fayt blurted in remembrance of his meeting with the dark haired soldier.

"Mind that 'soldier', Fayt. She's a commander, just like me and Clair. By the way, what happened to you?" Nel cut in again.

"Well, uh…" Fayt muttered shyly, and managed, "You see, one of our experiments went wrong, and it just… went off by itself."

"It was right until you misplaced the salt with some of those… crazy chemicals!" Sophia snapped rather angrily, "That was supposed to be the best soup I'd ever made!"

"Sorry, Sophia… But, haven't I told you that cooking isn't really my forte?"

Nel sighed, and, to some extent, amazed at just how wrong something as simple as cooking could be in the hands of incompetents, like the blue haired boy.

"Things went _completely_ wrong, I see," the redhead murmured.

"Please be more careful next time," Clair spoke up, trying to be comforting.

"Yeah, I'd better be," answered the boy. He then turned to Nel, and asked, "And what happened to you yourself? It seems that you got into a tough fight."

"Indeed. Well, it's all in a day's work, as us—"

Nel's answer was cut short as she sensed Clair's power slowly rising, and saw Yvikka stepped around to her front, as if shielding her from something. Indeed, she _was_ shielding Nel.

"Aww, found out."

Cliff moaned in disappointment as his object of interest was blocked from his view. Sophia and Maria immediately realized what their blonde friend was gawking at, then stepped forward to his side. The big Klausian then came up with a rather unmanly shriek as Sophia and Maria stepped on his toes—hard. Nel, for her part, could only sigh at the scene unfolding before her.

"Well, I guess that's my cue to get changed into more appropriate attire," said Nel. She then turned to Yvikka, who was still standing before her, "And you too, Yvikka."

"Yes, you'd better," Clair added, casting a somewhat annoyed look at Cliff.

---

Night came. The Elicoorian moon had taken up the sky's throne, replacing the king of the day, the sun.

Nel Zelpher, the leader of the Secret Legion, and the queen's Crimson Blade, had finished everything she felt need to be done. She'd officially appointed Tynave as the temporary leader of her legion stationed in Arias, handed the command of her Peterny-based agents over to Yvikka, as well as briefed her most trusted agents, preparing them for her absence so that there wouldn't be any 'vacuum of command' among her soldiers.

With those things done, now all she wanted and needed to do was to be with Clair, and Clair only.

And so, she went to Clair's room that night…

"Okay, Zelpher. Now spit it out: What did you _do_ to my friend out there?" Clair snapped as she examined Nel's body, ensuring that there was no major injury. This was something she'd always done every time she saw her beloved come back looking battered.

"I've told you, Clair," Nel answered coolly, "We sparred."

"… Sparring," sighed the silver haired woman, reminded of one of the spy's habits, "I should've known it when you said that you were interested in her."

Clair let out a relieved sigh, pleased upon finding that Nel's wounds were just scrapes and bruises; far from life-threatening ones. She relaxed for a bit, her momentary spurt of anger driven by her concern calmed. She just didn't like her beloved to get into a fight—_any_ fight, even a practice sparring match—because of the potential mortal peril that was always there. The images of Nel lying blood-bathed in the arena still haunted her, and it made her unable to stand seeing even a speck of blood on the redhead. As she was deep in thought, Nel turned, facing her.

"Clair…"

"Nel," Clair cut in, "Remember when Tynave first caught your eyes?"

"I do remember," Nel answered, lifting a small smile at the remembrance.

"One day, you said to me, 'she has potential', and then," Clair worded the memory, "The next day, you and her went off somewhere, and, upon returning, Tynave was so badly beaten that she couldn't stand on her own feet. When I asked you what happened, all you said was…"

"'We sparred'," Nel finished her friend's sentence.

Clair smiled faintly, sighing, "… And not only about Tynave, but also about Farleen, and to some other soldiers who you considered had 'potential'. Well, I understand that it was your way to scout for candidates to serve in the legion's inner circle, but you don't have to beat them so badly."

Nel giggled at her friend's remark, and then challenged her.

"Then how about you yourself? What are the 'intensive drills' you keep on giving to those whom you call 'talented runologists'?" said Nel in a slightly teasing tone, "From the look on their faces every time I see them coming out from whatever thing you're putting them through, it's very likely that they've just witnessed your father's side of yours. What's more, not all of them can actually _walk_ out of that. I bet Ersa has a whole lot to tell about that."

It was Clair's turn to laugh. She couldn't really argue in the face of that. Instead of saying something, she jumped at Nel, no longer able to restrain herself from looking at her beloved's teasing smile. Nel shrieked as the silver haired beauty pinched one of her 'weak points', and retaliated with several quick tickles. A tickle fight occurred.

"Just… like old times, Nel…" Clair said between pants as she lay spread-eagled on the bed, her breath expended in laughter at the end of their tickle fight.

"Yeah… it sure does…" Nel answered raggedly.

Clair then rolled to face her precious redhead, meeting her ever-fascinating green eyes, and asked a question that she'd just thought about.

"So, then… what do you think of her now, Nel?" Clair worded her question, "… after you put her through this 'test' of yours?"

"To say the truth, Clair…" Nel began her answer, "She's good. Not only that she can fight really well, but she also knows what she is supposed to do, and has a clear vision on that. I must admit that you've groomed her well, Clair."

"Me?" said Clair, pointing to herself, chuckling softly, "I didn't really do anything to her, frankly."

"Don't think that you're not doing anything in that, Clair," Nel cut in, "It's you who recognized her abilities, and it's you who gave her the chance so that she can be what she is now. You give her your trust, and that's how you're developing her."

Clair chuckled again at her friend's response, and then uttered another question.

"It is quite understandable if you do 'that' to your own soldiers, but… why Yvikka, Nel? She's not even in your unit."

"Well… I just want to be sure she's dependable," answered Nel, and went on, "You know, her orders are unchanged. She will stay with you in Arias to help you out."

"But how come?" Clair questioned, confused, "Isn't she needed in Peterny?"

"That is… Her Majesty's suggestion, with my approval, _and_ Yvikka's own free will," Nel answered calmly.

Clair was speechless for a moment, seemingly unable to argue, but then, objections spilled rapidly out from her lips.

"No. I… I can't allow this. I can't put her through more trouble than I already did, and I _don't _want to. It'll be a difficult job for her to manage both Arias and Peterny, and…"

"Clair," Nel snapped strongly, cutting through her friend's objections, "Just look at you. Do you really think you can handle Arias on your own, given your present condition?"

The silver haired commander went silent once more. She honestly didn't think that she would be able to handle Arias in her current condition, just like Nel said, but still…

"I… I don't want to be anyone's burden…" Clair managed.

"… Lasbard," Nel called her friend, cuddling the stubborn woman close to her, "Don't be silly. Your situation is understandable, and everyone is willing to help… you're not a burden. I want to help you… Her Majesty wants to help you… Yvikka wants to help you, and so do Ersa, Tynave, Farleen, and many others… If you decline their offer, however, then you'll be a real burden, don't you think?"

This time there was no argument, for Clair couldn't help but realize the wisdom in her beloved's words.

"Clair, it's not that I don't believe in you, but…" Nel spoke again, "… Be realistic, Clair. You need help, and I know you need it. Just don't…"

The redhead paused, knowing that the next words to come were actually Clair's words—the words that carried Clair's worries toward her; very much similar worries she was feeling right now.

"… Don't… what…?" Clair murmured.

"… Don't… always take on everything by yourself, Clair. It worries me sick to see you overwork yourself," the redhead managed.

Those words went deep into the silver haired woman's heart, striking her speechless. Now she saw that Nel shared just the same worries as she had toward her. Most of the time, Clair was the one who expressed such worries. She could no longer count how many times she had told her redheaded friend to take a break from missions, and delegate them to her subordinates, and only rarely did Nel do that. And now, Nel was speaking exactly the same words that she'd said to her.

"… I understand, Nel…" Clair's voice finally came, and with that, an apology, "… and I'm sorry… for making you worry."

"It's okay, Clair," said Nel, "I, too, am just starting to learn to depend on others. With you… I know that I can always count on you in all things but one."

"And what is this one thing that you can't count on me for, Nel?"

"That you're going to take a break," Nel answered with a smile.

"And same to you, Nel," said Clair, smiling, "You're no different than me on this one."

Nel sighed in relief as her friend finally seemed to understand, and then spoke again.

"I'll still hold on to your words, Clair, remember that. I don't want to come home finding you gone."

"And you too, Nel. I will always be waiting for you, no matter what."

The redheaded warrior let out one broad smile, the broadest as she could make it at her precious silver haired friend. She reached out to extinguish the bedside lighting, and then guided her friend and herself to the day's rest.

_Always…_


	11. The Guardian's Bane

Disclaimers # 1: Star Ocean is not mine. It is the rightful property of Square-Enix's. The OCs are mine, however.

Disclaimers # 2: This fanfiction is based on another fanfiction titled Two Soldiers: Fire and Ice authored by Artemis' Bow, therefore, our plots may cross at some certain points. To those who are new to this story, it is highly recommended for you to read Artemis' Two Soldiers as well if you want to get a better grasp to this story. A very special thanks to Artemis' Bow, for her approval, help and support have made this fic possible. If you like this story, half of the credit shall go to her. This story is also dedicated to her.

Author's Note: After a year or so of idle moments… yeah, I'm back. I deeply apologize for the very, _very_, long wait to you readers. I hope this chapter can redeem at least a part of that. I also want to express my deepest gratitude to those who have waited long enough for this, and to those kind people who have left reviews in spite of the fact that this fic had long since updated. I once said that I will not scrap this fic. I don't, and I will finish this. Trust me on that.

And now, without any further ado… Happy reading, and please review.

**The Third Soldier: Another Heart**

**Chapter 10**

**The Guardian's Bane**

"Father, I did it!"

A ten-year-old dark-haired girl ran up to a middle-aged man, who was obviously her father. The man then welcomed her to his arms.

"Really? You did that, my princess Yvikka? Let me see that," the man said enthusiastically.

Yvikka smiled, and, without any further ado, clutched her father's hand, pulling him all the way to a certain room in the house. There, the girl showed her father an egg—seemingly not an ordinary egg, for there was a rune symbol glowing on its shell.

"You really did it!" Said Yvikka's father, taking the egg from her daughter's hand, his eyes widened with amazement and joy. As he was inspecting his daughter's work, the symbol faded, and then gone completely.

"Oh, too bad," the father said with a mock-hurt look. He then turned to the young girl, handing over the egg, "Can you do that again, Yvikka?"

"Sure!!" the girl answered spiritedly. She took the egg, and then chanted a spell. As she chanted, her right hand glowed with a pale blue aura. Still chanting the spell, she placed her glowing hand on the egg. When she finally finished chanting, she removed her hand from the egg, and there it was again—a glowing rune symbol etched on the egg.

"Perfect!" Her father commented, then went on, "Alright, now for effect… try invoking one of the basic elemental runes to this egg. Quick, do it before the symbol disappears."

"Yes, father," the girl nodded, and then murmured, "Okay… now… Wind!"

---

A twelve-year-old Yvikka wandered around the woods. A few moments ago, she was still with her friends, but a trick was pulled out on her; and now there she was, all alone, barely losing her way.

"Lilia! Guiddo!" She shouted, calling for her friends for the umpteenth time, "Andressa! Answer me! If this is a trick, you'd better stop now because it's not funny anymore!"

There was no answer. Meanwhile, the sky was getting red, and dusk was coming. Yvikka looked back, very much torn between just going straight back out of the woods, or staying for the sake of ensuring her friends' well-being. A sudden rustling of bushes near her caught her ears, and she turned, staring at the direction of where the noise came from.

"Guiddo, is that you? Lilia? Andressa?"

Anxiety caught her as her questions went unanswered. The bushes rustled again, and this time, she took a step back. She didn't have the time to think anymore as a shadow jumped at her from the bushes.

A large Dire Wolf almost twice her size lunged, striking her down in its first charge. The girl didn't even have the chance to look at her attacker as the beast charged again, this time, pinning her down beneath its large furry body. Only at that moment she got to look at her attacker.

The beast bared its fangs, and then gnawed the girl's right shoulder, tearing off the cloth covering it, as well as some flesh. The smell and taste of blood from the wound made the beast crave for more. Its fangs soon found their way to the girl's other shoulder. This time, they went deeper into the flesh.

Yvikka cried with all of her might. First it was from fear, and then, pain. She had never seen so much blood coming out of her body before, and it frightened her, for it made her feel closer to death. At that moment of despair, her survival instinct kicked in. Her power rose, and her right hand glowed. Purely driven by instinct, she grabbed the wolf's head with her glowing hand, and then, just as she first did it to an egg from two years ago, she forced her power onto the beast, marking it with a brightly glowing rune symbol. The beast jerked in response, and, as if knowing what its prey had done, wailed in fear. The mark had been set, and all she needed to do was to cast one more spell.

_Wind…_

A wind symbol flashed. At that instant, the beast's body was stopped dead in its track. For a moment, the beast wriggled, its expression twisted as if something was struggling to get out from within its body—and it actually was. The wolf's body then burst out of a sudden, its blood and guts splattered all over, along with some trace of runological force.

Young Yvikka froze at the scene before her, shocked. She'd just witnessed and experienced things that were just too much for her young mind to process.

Pain.

Blood.

Death.

"Yvikka!"

The familiar voice of her father's broke through her ears, and she responded to it almost instinctively.

"Father!"

"I'm coming! Yvikka!"

All of a sudden, another shadow sprang out of the woods. The girl's traumatized mind made her survival instinct took over her. Without even half recognizing the figure coming at her, she raised her hand once again. Her yell clearly stated her intention.

"**DON'T COME CLOSE TO ME!!**"

**(End of flashback)**

Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf opened her eyes, unwilling to let one of the darkest moments of her life consumed her in remembrance. It was like ten years ago, and she'd long buried it within her memory. However, as she looked again at the night skies of Arias, the sight there brought those moments close again.

The darkest night. A night that was both starless and moonless, striking fear to everyone's heart at the moment.

The darkness it showed, very much bore a resemblance to the dark, cold woods in her memories, and the darkness she'd felt at that time. Another thought then came to her mind, a recollection of the words of a particular red-haired woman.

_A being that could imperil the entire universe…Is this is it, Lady Nel?_

_This is not the end yet, right Lady Nel?_

_You're still alive and fighting out there, right?_

_You have to… because if you don't…_

"Yvikka."

The soft voice made the woman turned her head to face her caller, lifting a smile as she found Clair Lasbard by her side.

"Here," said Clair, handing over a still-fuming cup, "I bring you some tea."

"Lady Clair…" Yvikka murmured, feeling a bit awkward for a moment, but managed, taking the cup from her superior's hand, "… thank you."

Clair then shifted, standing by her friend's side so that they stood shoulder-to-shoulder. She looked at the pitch-black skies for a moment, before bringing her own cup of tea to her lips, sipping it. But again, the pale brown orbs looked up for the second time, their expression worried.

"Shouldn't you be resting, Lady Clair?" the dark haired woman asked after a moment of silence.

"How can I rest, looking at that?" Was Clair's answer.

"Yes… I can understand that. This is… bothersome," Yvikka said.

"Truly bothersome… This is not because of cloud. It is as if… the stars are disappearing by themselves."

"Or probably… being made to disappear by someone… or something…"

Her companion's words made the silver haired commander remember her talk with her beloved before she went again with Fayt and the others. A talk which topic she couldn't fully comprehend, a talk which could certainly shook many beliefs that she knew in this world… a talk about the beings who claimed to be their 'creators'…

_Is this… the work of those who you said to have claimed to be our creator, Nel?_

_The power that could even command the stars…_

Clair closed her eyes and brought her head down, unwilling to see the skies anymore. Her body trembled, both with awe and fear at the thoughts. She was awed at the imagination of such power; however, she was also frightened for Nel, her beloved, knowing that she was out there facing this power.

_I can't imagine… Oh, Nel._

Yvikka turned, finding her dear superior seemingly troubled, for her eyes were downcast, her shoulders slumped, and her body leaned heavily to the wall behind her.

"Lady Clair, are you alright?"

Clair lifted her face at the question. She straightened her posture, trying to look all right, and answered.

"I'm fine, Yvikka."

"Are you sure? You look tired just before."

"Sure," the silver haired woman answered, smiling at her former aide, "I'm fine. I'm much better now."

A small, sad smile spread across Yvikka's face. She knew exactly that Clair was worried about Nel. It had been days since Nel left, and the beautiful woman beside her was truly looking better than she'd been, thanks to the redhead; but if only that worried look could go away from her face, she'd look even better. Clair was beautiful, everyone knew, but her beauty wasn't just skin-deep. It extended even to her inside, herself, her very soul. She was kind and caring, a very motherly person, but at the same time, strong and steadfast a soldier she was. Such combination of fine traits made Yvikka thought that Clair wasn't even human—a goddess, probably, for she was too perfect to be 'human', at least for her.

Clair turned at her friend, catching a glimpse of what that looked like blushes on her friend's cheeks, but wasn't sure if she was really blushing, for the lighting around them was dim. As she got a clearer look, she found her friend was fixed at her, seemingly to be in a daze, and it made her wonder.

"Yvikka? What's wrong?"

A sharp breath intake came as Yvikka was jerked back into reality. Her face tensed from the surprise, but it then softened as she calmed down.

"Nothing… I'm just… sad…" Yvikka answered softly.

"Why? What makes you so?" Clair asked again.

Yvikka's stygian eyes looked away, but then tracked back to see Clair's browns.

"Remember last night?" The dark haired woman lifted her voice, "You seemed to have had a nightmare. You cried, and I happened to be just outside your room to hear it. When I asked… you said that there's nothing, and everything's alright… but to me, you're definitely not all right. It… it saddens me to see you like that. I want to help you in any way I can, but I don't know how, because you don't even say a thing."

Clair looked at her friend's eyes. There, she clearly saw the light of worries inside. Yvikka was generally open to others, but it was very rarely that her eyes really talk—there was always something hidden in there. Her dark eyes were almost as mystifying as their color. But now, the very same eyes were open and talking, carrying their owner's worries within them; signifying that the woman's words and feelings were genuine.

"… Yvikka…" Clair managed after a few moments of studying her friend, "… I'm sorry…"

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Lady Clair. I'm just… worried about you, that's all. You have the very right to keep your problems, though I'd say it's a bad thing; but I myself have not the right to just brag into someone else's problem," Yvikka paused, and then continued with a small smile, "… Unless you let me in, I can't help you. But if you do, know this that I'll be more than happy to help."

"Thank you, Yvikka. I'll remember that."

Yvikka fell silent at her superior's response, sighing. Her mind then trailed off, wanting to ask one more thing, but she couldn't really decide whether to do it or not. Clair, for her part, could still see something passing through the dark eyes, but she decided to just let it. She knew that it was nearly impossible to dig something from this woman, unless she wanted to talk about it herself.

…

"… Damn…"

Shiny dark hair fell well past Yvikka's shoulders as she took her helmet off. She cursed at how her hair—that had grown longer by now—bothered her when she wore her helmet. Personally, she never favored long hair, because she thought that it would get in her way in a fight. Usually, she never let her hair to grow past her shoulders, and cut it regularly; however, she'd been very busy in these past few weeks that she couldn't even think about doing a haircut.

"I think I really need a haircut," she murmured, slightly tilting her head to the side to see just how long it had grown.

Clair overheard her friend mumbling, and smiled widely. She saw Yvikka's now long hair, and she found herself fond of it. Dark-colored hair wasn't uncommon, but it was difficult to find one that was as silky and shiny as her friend's seemed to be. Moreover, she'd never seen Yvikka with long hair, and seeing her like this now was kind of refreshing; like seeing a different, yet familiar person.

"I wouldn't advise that," Clair finally lifted her voice, moving her hand to touch her friend's hair. The dark hair seemed rather unkempt, probably because it was tied inside the helmet, but it was just as smooth and silky as Clair had imagined.

"You have such a lovely hair, Yvikka," Clair spoke again, "Wouldn't it be a pity to cut it short again?"

Yvikka felt her cheeks warmed, and she knew that she was blushing at the moment; just how bad, she didn't know. She tried hard to regain herself, trying to sound normal, but finding that she wasn't doing that well.

"W-well… I-I… usually never let my hair to grow this long… They'd be a nuisance should I get in a fight… and—"

The rest of her arguments got lost in the face of Clair's broad smile. At that moment, Yvikka found herself unable to do, think, or want anything else but to look at Clair's sweet smile before her for a little longer; engraving it to her memories and keeping it dear. Suddenly, the silver haired beauty shifted, breaking Yvikka out of her daze. Only at that time she was able to find her voice again.

"L-lady Clair…"

Clair saw the blushes she thought she'd seen it on her friend's face a while before resurfaced, though faintly, and laughed softly. It amused her to see how her usually-composed friend could be so timid. Back in the days when they were together in the Shield Legion, Yvikka was one of her brightest soldiers. Most of the time she saw her, Yvikka had always been calm, collected, and duty-focused. Even when she got to know the dark haired woman personally, never once she saw her to be shy or unconfident; until now, at the least.

An idea then came to Clair's mind. Still wearing the smile, she gestured, telling her friend to wait while she herself went, picked up a stool, and set it near runological lighting nearby. That done, she then called Yvikka to come over and…

"Sit."

"Uh, Lady Clair? Wha—"

"I said sit," Clair cut in her friend's question. She then pulled the other commander close, and, as if treating a child, forced her to sit on the stool with a push on her shoulders, but not before putting away the empty cups of their tea.

"Lady Clair, what are you doing?" Yvikka asked, very much bewildered by now.

"Trying to make you look better. Now, just stay still for a while, okay?"

Another grin spread across Clair's face when her friend relaxed, seemingly complying with her demand. She then took out a comb, lightly wetting it with a water spell, and, with gentle strokes, started to comb the dark hair out. Her soft hands worked through it, removing the knots and making it neat and straight. For a moment, some part of Clair wished that it was Nel before her. She had been longing to do something like this to her beloved, if only to make her look more womanlike; but the redhead always refused it.

Yvikka, for her part, just stayed quiet; her every objection lost in the knowing that it was Clair who did her hair. Her heart throbbed faster with a sense of almost guilty pleasure. In all honesty, she was immensely pleased with Clair's ministration, but at the same time, she also felt somewhat guilty because of the fact that it was _her superior_ who did this to her. However, she knew well that she could do nothing to stop the silver haired woman from doing what she want, hence her compliance.

"Your hair is so fine," Clair said after a moment of combing, "I cannot see why it can be a nuisance. Even if you do move too much, they'll just fall right back to place."

"It's just… preference, I guess?" Was Yvikka's response, "It just doesn't feel… right."

"Okay, maybe this can help to make it feel 'right'."

Clair then joined a portion of Yvikka's hair—the longest tails—while taking one of her violet ribbons which held one of her longer bangs, and tied her friend's hair into a low ponytail. After she made sure that the knot won't fall loose easily, she went around to Yvikka's front to see her works on her.

"There. A good hairdo, I must say," said Clair, smiling contentedly

"This…" Yvikka lifted her voice, her hand went back to scan her hair.

Before Yvikka could say any more, Clair gestured at her again, telling her to wait for her. The other commander then went somewhere, and—just as the dark haired woman thought—returned with a mirror, which she gave to Yvikka so that she could see her new look.

"What do you think?" Clair asked her, "Do you like it?"

Yvikka studied the reflection in the mirror. There, she saw herself with her hair tied to her back. A surge of remembrance came to her mind. She remembered that, when she was little, her hair was long as well, and her mother always did her hair this way. She loved her mother very much, and was deeply grieved when she died. Ever since she became a soldier, she cut her hair short, never letting it grow long again. Now, her hair had grown long, and she had Clair, the one person whom she also loved as much, doing her hair the same way.

"… I… like it…" Yvikka muttered almost inaudibly.

"Really? But… why are you tearing? Hey, you cry?" Clair asked as she saw tears building up on the dark eyes through the mirror.

Alarmed by Clair's question, Yvikka quickly wiped the tears off, but they just kept on coming.

"Nothing…" The crying woman finally managed, still busy with wiping her tears. Her voice was raspy, but her lips smiled, "I like it, Lady Clair. It was just… nostalgic. My mother… she used to do my hair… this way."

"I see," Clair said softly, starting to understand more about her fellow commander, "Your mother was a soldier as well, right? She must be proud to see you now."

"… Yeah…"

Clair sighed deeply, her pale brown eyes fixed at her fellow commander with a gentle look. In this very night, she'd just seen many of Yvikka's self which she'd never seen before, and was marveled at how open her friend was now; very much unlike the woman she'd known as one of her soldiers four years ago. Nevertheless, this woman had helped her greatly when she was lost in her grief of Nel's 'death', and she was glad that Yvikka had decided to help her once again now. Clair was truly thankful for all that her friend had done, and she wanted to express it more thoroughly, but she was unsure on how to do it. A usual 'thank you' didn't feel to serve the purpose right.

_How am I to see you now…?_

_If Nel is a lover to me, then you are…_

… _a friend… a best friend…_

Suddenly, Yvikka felt Clair's hands went around her from her back, wrapping her in a warm embrace; effectively stopping her reminiscence. She could feel Clair's warm, steady breath close to her ears, and then, a soft whisper.

"Thank you so much… Yvikka."

"L-lady… Clair?"

"I haven't thanked you properly…" Clair spoke again, "… for taking care of my soldiers, and Arias, and also, me."

"… I… Don't mention it," said Yvikka, "It's all… in my orders. After all… I can't just leave you behind because I…"

… _love you…_

The words almost slipped her tongue, but she could still hold it back.

"Because what, Yvikka?"

"I mean…" Yvikka managed, bracing herself to face the woman behind her, "… Because we're friends, right, Lady Clair?"

"Indeed we are," Clair agreed, and then added, "If we are truly friends, Yvikka, then… please do me a favor."

"Name it."

Clair shifted, lifting a small smile before her friend, and uttered her favor.

"Call me Clair, Yvikka."

The request stunned Yvikka speechless. She honestly never imagined herself calling her dear superior only by her name. She always looked up to Clair, and she respected the woman very much; not only because of her rank, but also because of her traits.

"… Lady… Clair…?"

"Clair. Just Clair," the fair woman corrected, "Friends don't refer to each other with formalities."

The dark haired woman smiled at Clair's remark. Her lips then opened slowly, and, for the first time in her life, called her superior only by her name.

"Very well… Clair."

---

Arias, the dawn after the starless night.

"**NEEELL!"**

Clair shot upright, crying her beloved friend's name. As realization came to her, she found herself gasping heavily for breath, and her body drenched with sweat. The night had been uneasy for her, for she had just seen a bizarrely frightening phenomenon, and the thought of Nel was out there, probably facing whatever caused it just make it worse. Clair then grunted in disgust; her eyes shut and her hands clutched her ears in attempt of denying the sight of Nel's despaired look in her green eyes as she took the mortal blow, and the unbearable scream of her death cry as her body was shattered to pieces, her blood splattered all over right before her very eyes.

_Nel…Oh, Nel…_

It was the worst nightmare she'd ever had, and she knew that more of it, even the worse ones, might come should nothing be done to overcome this sickening feeling of being unable to do anything.

As she thought about it, she realized that there was another sensation that was no less appalling. It came to her ever since the starless night, and it seemed that her fellow runologists also felt the same. It was kind of menacing, as if it could kill her at any moment.

Clair pushed the feelings aside, knowing that it was of no use to try to struggle with them now. She then got up, walked over to the window, and opened the curtain. The sight of the Elicoorian sun slowly rising to its throne welcomed her, and that was the first good thing she saw in the day. As she was enjoying the spectacle, she heard a voice which tone closely resembled the tone of the one she loved.

"There! You're not fighting! You're daydreaming!"

A sound of clashing metal came, followed by the obvious sound of someone being hit, and then, a grunt. The voice then came again.

"What kind of attack was that? Be serious, soldier!"

Clair looked at the direction of the voice. In the nearby training ground, she found Yvikka, Sisera, and several Chain Legion soldiers, as well as some of her own soldiers, seemingly doing a practice sparring. The Chain Legion commander was obviously the one who uttered the cynical remarks, and that reminded Clair of how Nel also used such remarks in training her soldiers.

"_You're not fighting, Clair. You're daydreaming."_

Those were Nel's words which she once said to her in their training days. She kept those words, and sometimes used the expression herself to her own soldiers. Apparently, she passed it down to Yvikka, and the fact that her friend used it as well made her laugh. As Clair shifted, she felt something amiss with her body, which she knew that it came from the long time of not doing enough workouts. An idea flashed in her mind, and she then quickly changed into her training outfit, and went down to the training ground.

---

Yvikka stood over some of her exhausted soldiers, sighing; slightly disappointed on how they were holding up. Even though they'd outnumbered her three to one in the last match, they couldn't even get one third of her. She sighed again, deep in thought, knowing that she couldn't get to measure her soldiers' abilities this way. Usually, in training, she would hold back, only went as far as two steps ahead in order to see her soldiers' progress. However today, the nauseating sensation she'd felt ever since the darkest night kept her to be on full alert; making her to treat every attack as real. Just as she was thinking about it, a familiar voice came to her ears.

"Yvikka."

The dark haired woman turned, smiling upon finding Clair walked toward her, and saluted.

"Lady Clair."

The woman frowned at the way her friend called her, but she returned the salute nevertheless, and spoke.

"Just 'Clair', okay?"

"Ah… Forgive me… Clair," the soldier blurted at Clair's reminder, "It is truly difficult to change what you're accustomed to doing for so long."

"I know it is, but you have to give it a try at least. By the way, what have you done to them?" Clair remarked as she saw a lump of expended soldiers near them.

"Well… It was all started with a regular morning warm-up exercise, but… they asked for a sparring and…"

"I see," the Shield Legion commander cut through Yvikka's explanation, laughing softly, "And then you gave them a day's worth of workouts. Anyway, Yvikka; I feel a bit rusty today, and I think I need some of that as well. Would you care to spar with me for a while?"

Clair's last sentence slightly surprised her. Never had she thought that the fair commander would ask to spar with her. Aside of that, she was also worried with Clair's condition. The woman was highly proficient in runological battle, but a 'spar' always meant a physical fight, in which Clair was less capable at.

"Don't worry about me. I can stand harsh beating. If I couldn't, I'd never be a soldier." The fair woman ensured, as if knowing her concern.

Yvikka smiled, unable to help but recognize the truth behind Clair's words. No matter how beautiful or ladylike Clair might look, she was still a soldier, and Yvikka knew exactly how unforgiving a soldier's training could be.

_After all, a little physical training might help to get her back to shape… She hasn't been in the field duty for some time…_

"Very well, if that is what you want," the dark haired woman finally managed. She put aside her training sword, and told the other soldiers to clear the training ground. Done with that, she then assumed an unarmed fighting stance, and spoke again.

"Let us start from the basics, shall we?"

"No need to go easy on me, Yvikka. Give me your all!" Clair answered, assuming her stance as well.

---

Arias Manor conference room, a few hours later.

Clair Lasbard worked on the compilation of yesterday's reports, preparing for the briefing to come. Though the intimidating sensation the darkest night had caused her was still there, her training with Yvikka a few hours ago had helped to ward off some of it. A moment later, a knock came to the door. The commander lifted her head to see who was coming; smiling upon finding her fellow commander entered the room.

"I have noticed the squad leaders, as per your request," Yvikka informed her superior, "They should come here… anytime soon."

It sounded like a usual report, but Clair could pick hints of anxiety in Yvikka's tone. Her friend's troubled face as she looked up to it confirmed her supposition.

"Thank you, Yvikka," Clair managed, "But… you look troubled. Is there something bothering you?"

"Yes, Clair, honestly…" the woman answered rather awkwardly, "This… ever since last night…"

"You feel 'that', don't you?"

Yvikka nodded, agreeing silently. She knew exactly that, if she could feel it, then Clair must be feeling it as well. She had confirmed it with several runologists, and it appeared that most, if not all people with runological talent in the village felt 'that'—the hostile, menacing impression left by the darkest night.

Clair, for her part, could only sigh for she really didn't know how to address the problem. She felt it, too, and she honestly had no idea on how to describe it, though part of her knew the probable source of the problem. The memories of her last talk with Nel flashed again, and along with that, for the few times of her life, an overwhelming surge of fear enveloped her—part of it because of the knowledge that they were facing a godlike power, but even a larger part of it was her worries for Nel.

"… Clair," Yvikka called, breaking up the curtain of silence.

"Yes?"

"Apparently, this strange… 'syndrome' also affects most runologists in the town. Not only that, but most people, as well as soldiers are also fear-stricken by the last night's phenomenon, and are in the verge of panic. Under this uncertainty, I suggest that we should limit, if not halt all regular outgoing operations for the time being until we can get a clearer grasp on the situation."

"I see your point, Yvikka," Clair responded, "But in what way can we attempt to assess the situation? A thorough investigation on the current phenomenon cannot be carried out here. Aquios might be able to do it, but we can't actually rely on them."

"Send a reconnaissance patrol," answered Yvikka, "That way, we can get at least some picture on our stand. If we can at least ensure the people that nothing is out of ordinary out there or that any and all threats are controllable, we should be able to bring order and peace back."

"And who would be willing for this mission?" Clair asked rather rhetorically.

Yvikka straightened in response, her hand went up to her chest in a salute, answering.

"With your permission, Lady Clair, I volunteer myself to undertake the mission."

The silver haired commander smiled at her friend. Her answer was just as she'd expected. In all honesty, she herself would like to take on the mission as well, if only to find out what was happening out there. Now that her friend had volunteered herself, all that she had to do was to come along.

"Permission granted," Clair replied, returning the salute, "But only if I come with you."

The fair commander's answer wasn't unexpected. Even if she didn't volunteer herself, Yvikka knew that Clair would do something of the sort sooner or later. Surely, the imagination of Clair and her patrolling together side by side fascinated her, but she couldn't allow her beautiful superior to be exposed to danger, especially today.

"I appreciate your offer of assistance, milady, but—"

"I don't offer," Clair cut the objection short, "I insist."

Yvikka fell to silence at the face of her superior's persistence. Even before she spoke her disapproval, she knew from Clair's tone that any objection against her will would do no avail.

"… As you wish… Clair," Yvikka finally managed, giving in with a smile.

---

The Aire hills, a few hours later.

The two commanders had been in the hills for quite some time, exploring and scrutinizing the area for any hint of irregularities. So far, the only thing that bothered them aside of the intimidating presence they were feeling was that there was hardly any beast around—it was as if even the beasts are afraid of coming out of their dens.

"Clair, look," Yvikka called as her sharp eyes caught something.

The runologist paced up to her companion's side, only to be shaken by the sight before her. Before them, were some remains of what that looked like men's corpses, as well as some lum and dragon carcasses in a condition that by no means intact. Yvikka went ahead to check on the remains, while Clair followed behind her.

"This is…" Clair muttered as she looked at one of the scattered carcasses.

"Yes. There's no mistaking it," said Yvikka, "Airyglyph Dragon Brigade. And this sword…"

The soldier turned, picking up a large two-handed sword, and showed it to her superior beside her.

"The Black Brigade sword," Clair confirmed, "What were these Glyphians doing here in our territory? And who in the world did _this_ to them?"

"They're probably the remaining Glyphian rogues who attacked Arias back then," Yvikka answered Clair's confused question, "And judging from the condition of their remains, it is highly likely that whoever did this must have used runology… a very powerful one."

In response to her friend's remarks, Clair then concentrated, trying to find any trace of runological signature left by spells cast in the area. It didn't take long for her find it, but to her surprise, the signatures she found were very much unlike any spells she knew, in exception of one thing.

_This mark… this feeling… are they somehow related­­­­?_

Suddenly, she felt as if something had stabbed her heart. Her rune symbols burned; the dread she was feeling went worse all of a sudden, hurting her, and her vision blurred at the pain. Her knees soon failed her, but before she even fell to them, a pair of strong arms came to her aide. Yvikka's face flashed before her sight, and her voice broke through her ears.

"Clair!!"

The cry of her name jerked her back to reality. When she turned, she saw her friend's expression was also a mask of pain. She knew that Yvikka was feeling that as well.

"… Yvikka… I… there's…"

"Get a hold of yourself! Clair!" Yvikka snapped, but her next sentence came in a tone of suppressed pain.

"Someone… no, something… is coming…!"

The menacing presence thickened, and the two commanders had to muster all of their might to resist the fear of looking at its source. By the force of will, they finally managed to bring their head up and turned to look behind them. The sight that awaited them was truly beyond belief.

There stood a being that just looked like a female human, but it had three pairs of wings protruding from its back, and its feet didn't even touch the earth—which was kind of 'inhuman' in and of itself. The being was also clad in an attire of an otherworldly style and origin—a shimmering gold and white dress—which made it looks almost divine. It was a beautiful sight to behold, but the thick ominous aura the being was emanating made its watchers couldn't even think of admiring the view.

It was truly a dreadfully majestic presence.

Yvikka, having regained control over herself, stepped forward, positioning herself to shield her superior should something dangerous came. She then lifted her right hand—signifying no harmful intent—and lifted her voice in an attempt to communicate with the being before her.

"O, majestic foreigner," she began, "We are the loyal servants of the Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria. We meant no harm, but the ground you are standing now is the rightful territory of Aquaria; therefore, I demand your cooperation to be willing to abide by the laws of the Sacred Queen, and peacefully come with us to Arias for further inquiry."

The being shifted, seemingly looked at the Chain Legion commander, and, in Aquarian tongue, uttered an unthinkable response in a voice that sounded inhuman.

"Those… who defy the will of the Creator… shall be terminated. Irregularities… shall be… deleted."

… '_Creator'?_

The one word shook Clair to her very soul. A word which hinted the connection among Nel's story to her, the being before her, and the phenomenon she was feeling.

… _could it be…?_

Clair's line of thought was suddenly interrupted as Yvikka tackled her away. An unmistakable feel of a released runological force broke through her senses. The earth shook as the energy struck the ground near them with a deafening explosion, leaving a fairly huge crater as a testament of power. She saw her friend got up from her side, her hand on her sword, yelling a warning.

"That is far enough! Any more act of hostility and I shall answer in the like manner!"

_Nel… is this truly what you're facing?_

She didn't even pay attention to what happened next. Her mind was pulled back and forth at the remembrance of her beloved's story, and its relation to the events she was experiencing now. Another explosion jerked her back to reality, and by the time she was aware of her surroundings again, she saw Yvikka flying, rolling on the ground before finally getting back to her feet again. A battle was already fought.

The swordswoman hadn't quite gotten her bearing back when she saw the angelic being started to chant another spell. Just as she was preparing to brace for the attack, another wave of spell hit her enemy squarely, effectively halting its move. She turned to see her helper, finding Clair with her hand raised before her chest, obviously readying another spell.

Clair's spell took a while longer to cast, and their ethereal enemy had already turned its attention to the casting runologist. Before it could even attempt an attack, however, Yvikka struck with all of her might, breaking through its defenses. Her sword cut deep from its left shoulder to its chest, inflicting a wound that would kill a normal human; yet, as Yvikka pulled the blade out, there was no blood or anything like it. Instead, there was brightly colored essence spilled out from the cut.

_What in the world…_ Yvikka thought as she saw her enemy's 'blood'.

_This… it seems that this being is wholly made from the very essence of runology itself!_

"Yvikka! Clear out!"

Clair's warning broke through her chain of thought. She disengaged just in time before Clair's spell took effect. Runological symbols appeared beneath and above the being; a pillar of blue-colored flame formed between the symbols, enveloping whatever inside them in a merciless rage. The runologist then gestured again, and the symbols of her spell shifted form; the flame pillar turned brighter before finally exploded, leaving a huge crater in its aftermath, with the being lying crumpled in its center. Only then was Yvikka able to join up with Clair again.

"Yvikka, you okay?" Clair asked her companion; her eyes were still fixed at the middle of the crater where their enemy was lying, very much in a full alert.

"I'm fine, Lady Clair," answered the swordswoman, "Thanks for the help."

"Is it… over?"

Just as Clair finished her words, the being rose again; its bodily appearance tarnished as the result of Clair's spell. Apparently, the spell damaged it more than Yvikka's sword did.

"Not just yet!" Yvikka exclaimed, quickly assuming her fighting stance. She then turned to Clair, advising a strategy.

"It seems that runology is far more effective against this fiend. Lady Clair, I'll try to stall it while you hit it with spells."

Under normal circumstances, the runologist wouldn't agree with the idea for she truly hated seeing her friends and soldiers went into trouble for the sake of her convenience; but now, she had no other choice but agree. The enemy was powerful, she knew it because it could withstand one of her strongest spells, and she couldn't devise any better idea.

"You be careful there," Clair replied with a nod, "Don't die on me."

Yvikka turned again, and lifted up a small, confident smile before her dearest commander.

"Don't worry about me," said her, "I'll give you as much time as you need. Just be sure to hit it the hardest as you can."

The warrior then charged again, only to meet a wave of energy from her adversary. The attack whiffed above her as she shifted into a lower stance. She lunged from her position, knocking the angelic fiend high into the air with an uppercut from her sheath while she herself jumped, catching it mid-air and sending it back to the earth with a vicious overhand slash from her sword. As soon as Yvikka set foot on earth again, she came again at the fiend with a shoulder charge, driving it back to the ground. With her enemy on the ground, she raised her sword, attempting to impale it to the earth. Before her sword struck, however, the fiend managed to chant something, and its body suddenly disappeared, only to appear again behind her.

Clair watched in slight horror as she saw her friend took the brunt of the fiend's attack. The fiend disappeared again, and then appeared right before her, sending an energy wave toward her. The attack hit, but was deflected by a runological barrier. Though Clair was in the middle of invoking a spell, she wasn't completely defenseless. Knowing that incantation was a critical period for a runologist in battle, she always put a defensive barrier up to shield her should trouble come. However, as most of her power was concentrated on another spell, her barrier was weak, and one more attack would be more than enough to penetrate her defenses. She was ready to break the spell in favor of defending, but Yvikka came again just in time and tackled the fiend out of her way.

_Apris help me…_

_Let this be enough… this has to be…_

_Celestial Whip!_

Another pair of symbols appeared again beneath and above the fiend. This time, they were larger; thus cover even wider area. Beams of light came down, danced madly over the symbols like whips sent from heavens, sucking the fiend in a world of hurt.

That was not Clair's main spell, however. As the ethereal beast was contained inside the spell, Clair readied one more, the strongest spell she had at the time. The air around the runologist shifted as she began chanting. Her silky silver hair was set loose at the rose of her power, and her body enveloped in a thin silver aura, eliciting a no less intimidating, yet majestic sight than the fiend she was facing.

"O, Apris! Lend me your power!" Clair shouted to the heavens, before her was now another rune symbol.

"Apris Spear!"

With the yell, spears of light formed from the symbol, which Clair hurled at her opponent; each of them struck and impaled the fiend before went off in a great explosion. Spears after spears came, followed by blasts after blasts. The spell was so powerful that it actually changed the landscape of the battlefield—what that once was a hilly area now turned into a crater-riddled ground with one long, stretching depression which testament the power of Apris Spear spell.

Clair fell to one of her knees in the aftermath of her spell, her strength nearly expended. She could still see the shadow of the ethereal fiend behind the thick screen of dust and smoke. However, as she got a clearer look, the being seemingly had taken a mortal wound; several of its limbs were decapitated, and its body shook heavily. Eventually, the being radiated a bright light all over its body, and then disappeared into a drifting light of runological essence with a low-pitched, inhuman scream of its death cry.

"Did that… do it?" Clair muttered. She then felt another figure came to her side, a hand clutched her arm, helping her to stand. Yvikka's voice then came.

"Lady Clair, you okay?"

"I'm all right. Just a bit exhausted. How about you?" Clair returned the question to her companion, who'd obviously taken more beatings in the fight.

"I'm fine," was the prompt answer, "Did you get it?"

Clair looked up again at the question, her eyes directed to the ground where she'd seen the being for the last time, answering lowly.

"Seemingly…"

Silence reigned after Clair's last words. The two commanders stood still, trying to regain their breath as well as search for any additional threat. After a moment of alert, they relaxed, but still no words came from either of them. Both of their minds worked, trying to find a sensible explanation of the seemingly intertwined events—the darkest night, the ailing sensation it caused, and the appearance of the near-divine being with extraordinary power threatening to terminate them for reasons even they couldn't really comprehend. For Clair's part, things were a bit clearer; thanks to Nel's story. However, that knowledge didn't make her feel any better; instead, it frightened her.

_The Creator… A being of godlike power…_

_A being that 'created' us…_

_A being that treated us as playthings…_

"Lady Clair," Yvikka called after a moment of silence, "Do you think these events—the darkest night, the nauseating syndrome, and this… angelic being—are somehow related?"

"Apparently," Clair answered, "The aura radiated by the fiend before is similar with the symptoms we're feeling. And since the syndrome seemingly appears together with the last night's phenomenon, we can assume that they're related."

"And one more," Yvikka added, "From what the fiend has spoken to us, I believe that it was sent as a kind of… emissary in a certain mission; and its mission is…"

"To terminate us all," the runologist finished, her expression worried.

The soldier clicked her tongue, her eyes shut and her face filled with disgust.

"And what's more ridiculous is… that 'creator' thing it said!" The dark haired woman muttered aloud in slight anger, shaking her head violently, "Did that vile fiend tries to say that Father Apris, who created us, has judged us disobedient; and so he sent it… that fiendish 'emissary'… to terminate us all?! How unacceptable!!"

Clair wasn't really surprised to hear her friend's angry response. She'd heard that before from Nel, and even more. It truly shook the very core of her belief, and she was still very much unsettled on that matter. She hadn't thought about that lately, but now she had to face it again. However disturbing the matter was, Clair then decided put it aside in favor of calming her obviously bothered companion.

"Yvikka, calm down," Clair snapped, "It couldn't be like that."

"It couldn't be… and _it shouldn't be­_…!" The other woman growled, "Father Apris… is all-forgiving. Never had I known… about a sin that worth such judgment…"

"He is. Now just calm down, okay? Breathe, Yvikka, breathe deeply, it's okay."

At her dearest superior's command, the dark haired soldier mustered all her will to calm herself down. She took in several deep breaths, trying to stabilize her rushing heartbeat, and to loosen her tensed muscles and nerves. It took some time for her to be truly relaxed again.

"Lady Clair…" Yvikka finally found her voice again, "… I'm sorry…"

"There's nothing to be sorry for," Clair cut in, putting one hand on the other's shoulder, so as to assure her, "I know this is disturbing, even for you. That matter… is not really important now. The more important thing now is that we have to stop the fiend's words from happening. I don't care if the gods truly send it to annihilate us all or not; but we're born to live, to fight, and to survive. If anything comes to threaten our survival, our existence, we must fight it!"

The commander's heartening words made Yvikka to look up; her eyes immediately met Clair's resolute pale brown orbs. Her encouraging words and her strong, yet soothing gaze—those were the few of Clair's fine qualities which she'd fallen in love with, and seeing those was truly strengthening and soothing all at once.

_It is always like this… When we're standing together, Lady Clair is always the stronger one._

_She raises me up, pushes, and encourages me to keep on forward. She's the reason I am now…_

_If it wasn't because of her, I'd…_

"… Yeah… You're right," the soldier managed, "Thank you, Lady Clair."

"You're welcome," Clair responded heartily, smiling, "Now let's go back to Arias. I cannot imagine the trouble should more fiends like that come when we're like this."

"Yes, let us go."

Just as the two commanders turned to the direction of Arias, another, rather unusual sight met them—a small, white-furred wolf infant.

"What's a Dire Wolf infant doing here alone?" Yvikka blurted in a slight bewilderment, "It's very much unlike them… the mother should be somewhere close, but…"

"Maybe it was separated from its mother… but it's too young for it to leave its den," said Clair.

"In any case, we should not get too close to it. If we tarnish it with our scent, the mother might never recognize it anymore."

"Right," Clair replied, "Besides, it's not good to upset a worried mother, is it?"

They then went around, passing the infant beast. Clair cast a fleeting look at the charming cub as she passed; feeling a slight pity for it, considering the tough life it would face in this wilderness. Only a few steps later, suddenly, the fearsome presence struck again, this time even far stronger than she'd felt it before. She turned in a flash, finding her companion standing farther away from her. The terrorized look of her face clearly said what she was feeling. Clair's pale browns flashed, seeing the cub—that they'd passed before—behind Yvikka, had turned into something else. The next events to unfold were truly… horrible.

"**CLAIR, RUN!!"**

Those were Yvikka's last words before she was enveloped in crimson-colored lightning bolts. Clair was very much flabbergasted that she couldn't really comprehend what was happening, much less do anything. An explosion came, knocking the slight runologist several feet away. When she finally recovered from the shock, her friend was nowhere she could see. An object fell from the sky, bounced several times, and rolled on the ground before finally came to a stop right next to her. She gasped in horror as she fully recognized what the object was actually.

Yvikka's helmet.

Clair looked at the tattered helmet she was holding in a great disbelief. The reminiscence of her last nightmare flashed, to the moment when she saw Nel was killed by an unknown being—just like what she was witnessing now. Her heart sank at the thought of her companion's death.

She hated it, especially when it happened to those close to her.

"**YVIKKAAAA!!"**

Crying her friend's name, Clair moved forward to the ground where she last saw her. Before she could reach it, however, her steps came to a halt at the sight before her.

Partly hidden by the cloud of dust and smoke, there was another being. Its appearance was very much in the opposite with the first being Clair had met. While the first one appeared _angelic_, this one appeared _demonic_. Its bodily appearance was like that of human, but its arms were longer—long enough that they reached past its knees. Its whole body was tinted dark, yet its eyes were flickering with a fierce, menacing glare. Though it also had wings on its back, it didn't fly—its feet were actually stepping on earth. The only similarity the two otherworldly being shared was the air they were radiating. They were both emanating the menacing and nauseating aura, which clearly hinted that they were of similar origin.

In the face of this, while many people might've thought that running is the best way; Clair, on the other hand, readied herself to confront the new threat, despite her condition—the bond that she'd formed with her comrades in arms made her think that running and leaving a fellow soldier behind is not a sensible option.

_Nel, I'm sorry, _she prayed.

_I know that you hate seeing me in danger, but now I have to do it._

_But I've promised you that I'll be waiting for you, and so be it._

_I'll win, and I'll live._

With the thought, Clair steeled herself, and, with a war cry, charged at the demonic creature standing before her, starting the battle of her fate.

Clair's right fist landed hard on the fiend's head, followed immediately with a burst of runological force which she send it from her left hand, pushing her adversary away. The fiend then lunged with its long arms in retaliation, but the runologist saw through it. She sprang forward in response, going deep within the fiend's reach, its arms overshot her. At the instant the fiend was within her arm's reach, Clair put her hands on its body, and then unleashed her power at point-blank range, causing a loud explosion that knocked the dark fiend away. Without even pausing, the gallant runologist attacked again. She took the air in one big leap, and, with an unerring accuracy, hurled six runological daggers at her adversary. All six daggers hit the fiend squarely, digging deep into its body before finally exploded, adding the damage to their target. In this fashion was Clair fighting her otherworldly adversary, using a combination of martial arts and rapid-casting, short-ranged minor spells—a technique which she developed herself in order to improve her fighting capability at close range; a range where most runologists are vulnerable. She knew that she cannot afford to use major spells like she did before. Aside that such spells took longer invocation time, rendering her more vulnerable, her reserves was nearly spent—she might be able to cast one more Apris Spear; but after that, she would be done for.

Clair fought bravely and skillfully; but unfortunately, her adversary was also extraordinarily strong. Fatigue caught up with the runologist, and that was the moment where the tide turned drastically. The dark fiend, seemingly aware of the runologist's tiredness, attacked her fiercely and relentlessly. Clair could only defend at the face of such brutal strength; her power quickly expended for defending, and at times, healing. The battle of skill now turned into a battle of endurance—in which Clair was lacking at with her present condition.

A vicious swipe of the fiend's arm broke through a weak runological barrier. Clair felt as if her breath was taken away as the last vestige of her strength fell, and she went down to her knees as the demonic beast hit her once again on her shoulder. The beast's hands then grabbed her neck and lifted her so high that her feet were no longer stepping on earth, strangling the breath out of her. Clair tried to escape the death grasp, but the fiend was way stronger while she herself weakened; her strength gone as her body gasped for breath. In a last ditch attempt, using all of her remaining strength, she lifted her feet to her attacker's face, and kicked hard, using it as a springboard to spring herself out of its hands—which she did successfully. Clair managed to escape death, but only for the moment. Her feet were barely touching the ground when a violent energy bolt from the fiend hit her directly. She flew from the impact, going for several yards before crashing back on earth, rolling, and finally stopping. This time, she could not rise anymore.

The silver haired runologist was still conscious by then, but she was already on her limit. She felt her body burned, tasted blood coming out of her in her mouth. Pain coursed through her whole body, centered on her chest where she'd taken the devastating hit. When she got to look at herself, she found that her tunic was severely burned; the leather armor that she worn around her torso was mostly gone, and, behind it, vicious burn standing out clearly against her pale skin on her breast. The leather armor she was wearing was runologically reinforced that it could rival Glyphian knights' light plate armor in terms of sturdiness, and offer even better protection against runology-based attacks. Yet, even that could not prevent its wearer from taking the most out of the fiend's attack—had she not worn her armor, she would've died by now.

She tried to get up, but her body wouldn't heed her mind's command. All she could do was lay still while watching the fiend strode closer to her.

_The only thing that I regret is… _Clair said in her heart.

… _that I'm not strong enough… to fulfill my promise…_

… _Nel…_

Clair struggled against her regret and weakness, unwilling to give up hope. With the might of will, she finally managed to force her body up on its knees, but it was all she could do. As she looked up again, the fiend was already next to her.

The fiend lifted its one arm in an augur of an attack. The finishing blow was inevitable, and the runologist realized that there was nothing she could do. Even in the face of certain death, Clair looked at its coming without even blinking; determination was still alive inside her pale browns, strong and pure without any hint of fear.

…_Dying facing the death… is not a bad way to die…_

A blur of motion flashed, and a figure came, knocking the fiend away from the battered runologist. Clair could not believe her eyes as she came to fully recognize her savior. Her lips unwittingly called a name.

"… Yvikka?"

The Chain Legion commander stood before her, sword drawn. Her condition looked no better than Clair, but the way she moved indicated that she still had more strength in reserve.

"Demon…" Yvikka growled in anger; her voice was distant, sounded almost unlike her, "… How dare you…"

The swordswoman charged; thrust her sword deep into the unsuspecting fiend's body, impaling it completely.

"DON'T YOU DARE…" She yelled as she drove her sword deeper and twisted it inside its body. She then yanked the blade out, disemboweling the fiend with a vicious cutting motion to the side as she finished her sentence.

"… TOUCHING LADY CLAIR!"

Dark-colored essence came out spilling from the fiend's bowel, and it stumbled back, away from the two women. Clair watched the events before her, amazed that her friend was still able to move at all with her condition. Heartened by her friend's presence, the runologist then pushed herself up in attempt to join the fight. Before she could do so, however, the swordswoman gave her a fleeting look and waved her down.

"… Stay…"

The words struck Clair. Never had she heard her friend speak in such a flat and dead voice devoid of all passion. The stygian orbs as she got to look at them were wild, filled with raging torrent of anger and hatred. It was frightening to see those qualities in the self of a soldier who Clair had always known to be calm and composed, never seem to lose herself even in the worst of situations; but what was more alarming was the sudden rise of power within the dark haired woman, which Clair had never recognized before in her friend.

_Yvikka… what happened to you…?_

Runological aura flickered, crackling around Yvikka's right hand. An unmistakable feel of runological power broke loose of its restraint came to Clair, startling her. At that instant, she saw pale blue aura formed around her friend's right hand, enveloping it.

For Yvikka, her mind was already trapped inside a cycle of horrible thoughts; the thoughts of her dear superior being beaten, brutalized, and killed. It made her unable to think of any other thing but one, which she'd sworn to achieve at all costs.

_Protect Lady Clair._

At the command of her instinct, Yvikka ran at the fiend again in a seemingly suicidal charge. She took a hit which tore the rest of her right shoulder armor apart, but she didn't care. As soon as she got close, she brandished her sword; the blade struck the fiend's upper torso, and got stuck there. The dark haired soldier then forced her sword, shook it free again brutally, and once again, stabbed the fiend. With the sword impaling the fiend's body, she pushed, putting her right hand—which was glowing brighter by now—on its head, and forced her power onto it. A surge of runological wave assaulted, causing a small explosion as the fiend was thrown back, free from the sword. On its head was now a brightly glowing rune symbol. Yvikka then took several steps back, and prepared to finish the cycle with one more casting of a spell. As she started to chant, she felt as if time had slowed. Reminiscence forged its way to her mind—a recollection of the dark moments she'd refused to remember the night before, and had always been for the rest of her life.

**(Flashback)**

"**DON'T COME CLOSE TO ME!!"**

The figure unheeded the warning, and kept on coming closer at a rapid pace. It said something, but young Yvikka didn't pay attention to it. Her power rose again, and for the second time of the day, she cast the spell. As her hand moved to mark the figure before her, the light radiating from it lit the figure's head up, revealing a face very familiar to her.

"No! Yvikka… AUHG!"

"Fa… FATHER!"

She was too late. She had already marked her father.

The man stumbled with pain as the mark cast upon him disrupted the energy flow within his body. At this state, even without the aid of another spell from his daughter, he was still likely to break into pieces because of the runological chaos within him. He knew that because it was he who created the spell.

"Seal the rune! Yvikka!" He shouted, "Use the seal rune on the symbol!"

The girl was still very much shocked at the realization of what she'd done that she unheeded her father's yell at her. But her father yelled again, restating the command, and only at that moment she could regain herself. She heard her father shouting, and immediately began chanting the seal spell on herself. She managed to invoke the spell perfectly, but the result was truly beyond her imagination.

"AAAHH!!"

Young Yvikka screamed in agony as the two spells on her clashed; they confronted, trying to cancel out each other. The girl felt her power started to stir within her, and soon went almost completely uncontrollable; runological aura stirred and enveloped her whole body. The father watched in horror because he knew exactly what was happening with her dear daughter. Completely ignoring his condition, he came to his daughter's side and cradled her closely, all the while whispering words of encouragement and assurance.

"Hang on, my dear… You can do it…"

Yvikka looked up at her father's face, and muttered.

"It hurts… Father…"

"I know…" The man answered gently, suppressing the pain in his voice, "I know it hurts… Just hold on, and stay awake. It'll be okay…"

The daughter felt her father's embrace tighten; the warmth it gave her encouraged her, making her feel that everything is going to be all right. After some time, the aura dissipated, as did the mark the girl had set on her father. The runological battle had subsided, leaving only pain, fatigue, and regret.

"Father… I…" The girl whimpered; tears coming down from her night-black eyes, "… I'm sorry…"

"It's all right. You did it…"

"Are you… are you going to be all right?" Yvikka asked between sobs.

"As long as you're safe, I'll always be alright, my dear."

The answer calmed her heart, and she nuzzled deeper into her father's body. Just as she thought that everything was all right, she felt her father's body was getting heavier. Unable to hold the weight, she fell to the ground with her father's body on her.

"Father?"

There was no answer.

"Fa… father? Father, what happened?

Still, no answer came. She then released her father's arms—which were still holding her—turned the man's body so that she could get up, and looked at him.

A terrified, regretful scream echoed, piercing the stillness in the woods.

**(End of flashback)**

Yvikka jerked as if being snapped out of a daze. By the time she was aware again, the spells she cast had already taken effect. The demonic-looking being writhed and screamed out incomprehensible sounds in agony; dark-tinted runological essence started to spill out from its body. All too sudden, the being's body burst out completely; its dark essence drifted in the air, formed a violent whirlwind that threatened to swallow the two commanders whole.

"Yvikka!" Clair's voice called out. The dark haired woman turned her head, finding her dear superior standing behind her.

"Stay behind me, Lady Clair!" She answered, and then turned again at the raging whirlwind before her. She could still hear Clair said something, but was unable to perceive it. Right now, her attention was fully directed to what was in front of her. She had to control it, and she knew could do it, because it was the property of the spell she'd cast last. The large amount of power it had made it a bit difficult to control, but this was _her_ spell. With the expertise she'd learned from her father since she was little, she calmed the angry wind. Little by little, the wind calmed down; the dark essence which once formed it slowly dissipated, and then gone completely. Clair, for her part, watched in awe as her friend successfully managed to ward the dangers away. Though she was now filled with many questions, she put them aside in favor of enjoying the fact that it was finally over, and that both of them survived.

"It's over…" The silver haired runologist muttered lowly. She looked up to the sky, finding the sun was covered by clouds. Light rain started to come down, as if wanting to soothe the pain and fatigue of the two soldiers' body, and wash the wounds they'd suffered.

Clair turned to look at her friend, to whom she was sincerely thankful for saving her life for the second time, surprised upon finding the woman was bent over with hands and knees on the ground. Very much worried, the commander then paced closer at her side.

For Yvikka, things were not quite over yet. She had defeated the ethereal enemy, but at the cost of herself. The wound and guilt she'd buried for years renewed; the bane that had driven her almost insane years ago came again into her mind.

_Father… I… I…_

_I killed him._

Waves of pain, regret, and sadness overwhelmed her, assaulted the battered defenses of her heart and mind without mercy. So great was the agony in her heart that she no longer felt her bodily wounds anymore. Eventually, she could not take it anymore. The emotions breached her defenses, and struck the very core of herself. The commander broke out in tears in the sign of her defeat, shouting out loud to the heavens.

"**WAAAAHH!!"**

Clair heard her friend cried, and that made her more worried. It was not a cry of pain, but rather, a cry of despair and anguish. Her friend was apparently fighting something else, and she obviously needed help. She went to her side and kneeled, her hand on the other's shoulder.

"Yvikka, are you all right?"

The response she got was truly shocking.

The dark haired woman turned in a flash and shook her away. Clair drew a gasp she got to look at her face—her eyes were wild and her face was fear-stricken. Yvikka, for her part, was truly scared as she felt Clair came close to her. She was afraid of herself, afraid of repeating the darkest moments of her life.

"St… Stay away from me!" The despaired woman winced, trying to get away from Clair.

"Yvikka…?" Clair muttered in confusion, "… What's wrong?"

"Just… stay away from me… I…"

Clair saw trouble so apparent on Yvikka's face, and she knew that it couldn't lead to anything good. With that in mind, the silver haired woman forged forward, slowly closing the distance between her and her fellow officer, all the while trying to speak to her.

"Let us return, Yvikka, return home to Arias together…" Clair spoke up, trying to persuade her friend.

"I… can't return…" Was the response.

"What do you mean you can't return?" The steady woman asked again.

"I can't be near you…" Yvikka replied, shaking her head in fear.

The answer made Clair become even more worried. Yvikka was obviously deep in distress, and she couldn't just be left like that. Determined to bring her friend back with her, Clair stood up and walked over to the other woman. If she could not speak some sense in her face, then she would just knock her out and haul her back to Arias.

"No… stay away…" The dark haired soldier muttered in fear as she saw Clair rapidly closing the distance between them.

"Listen, Yvikka…"

"Don't come any closer, Lady Clair…"

"You're wounded, and you need help. Let me at least—"

"NO!"

Very much in despair, the soldier impulsively drew her sword and pointed it at Clair's throat, yelling.

"By Apris, Lady Clair, for your sake, don't come any closer!"

Clair stopped herself in the face of the threat in a slight surprise. She wasn't really surprised by her friend's aggressive action; but rather, she was surprised by the extent of the trouble that could make her to act like that. She then looked at the woman's eyes and face, finding them heavily laden with fear, regret, misery, and also… doubt. She saw the hand holding the blade was shaking heavily, and she knew that Yvikka was wavering. Clair took a deep breath as she decided to continue her advance, fully counting on the fact that her former aide would never want to hurt her.

And so, she took a daring step forward, feeling the cold steel of the sharp blade grazed her skin. Though she knew that she could just knock the blade away from its wielder's hand, she decided against it for she knew that any aggressive movement from her might result in retaliation—which was definitely not good.

"I… see no reason of doing that," Clair spoke softly, taking another step, "The more you refuse, the more I want to bring you back."

"… La… Lady… Clair…" Yvikka stammered, her voice trembled. She honestly never wanted to hurt, or even kill Clair, the woman she loved very much. She never could. She wanted to run away, but Clair's soft look and the compassion she conveyed through her words—all things which she loved to see, feel and hear from the commander—held her in her place.

"We can talk about this once we get back," the runologist's soft voice came again, "Or, even if you don't want to talk about it, it's alright, but please, Yvikka… Please… return to Arias… return with me…"

When the soldier seemed unable to decide how to answer, Clair moved again, slowly, but surely, closing the distance between them until they were so close that Clair could feel Yvikka's ragged, unsteady breath on her face. The beautiful runologist then wrapped her hands around her distressed friend, cradling her tightly and closely.

"Do you see now?" Clair whispered softly in Yvikka's ears, "Here I am, close to you, and nothing happened. There's nothing to be afraid of…"

The sword quietly slipped off her hand, and Yvikka felt her body went inexplicably weak at the face of her superior's compassion. Fresh tears burned her eyes, and her cry renewed along with the coming of the tide of guilt.

"… Cla… ir… I… I'm sorry… so sorry…"

"It's okay… I can understand…"

Yvikka cried again, but this time, she wasn't crying alone. She had Clair's shoulder close to her, ready to give her the support she so desperately needed. She wanted to return the embrace, but hesitated, still unsure if it was okay if she touched Clair with her hands. She started with her left hand, wrapping it around Clair's back. Her right hand followed a bit later, after she'd ensured herself that nothing bad would happen.

"I'm here, Yvikka," Clair whispered again, "Hang on to me, it's okay."

"… I'm sorry, Clair… I'm sorry… truly sorry…" Yvikka whimpered in response. She clung for her dear life onto the steady, strong-hearted woman, feeling incredibly guilty and stupid from having refused Clair. If she were a ship in the middle of storm, then the silver haired woman would be her guiding lighthouse and her port where she could harbor herself. The two commanders stayed like that for an indefinite amount of time before Yvikka finally pulled away from the runologist. When Clair looked at her friend's face, she found that the fear was still there, but the cool and calm quality of her former self was also there—which relieved her.

"Clair…" Yvikka called out, "… Could you please… do me a favor?"

"Just say it," Clair answered, nodding.

"Don't say a word… about what I did to the fiend…"

"Don't worry about that. It is safe with me."

Yvikka seemed to be getting calmer and more relaxed at her reassurance. The shadow of her former self started to appear clearer, and even more as the peace went by. When Clair was sure that the soldier was calm enough, she lifted her voice, repeating her request and hoping for a good answer.

"Yvikka… come home with me?"

…

"… Yes…" The soldier answered, "let's… go back home…"

---

Meanwhile, in Arias…

A group of mounted soldiers could be seen readying themselves before the town's gates. On the lead position was Sisera, Yvikka's aide in Arias.

The young soldier was extremely agitated when her commander didn't return at the scheduled time, as did the rest of the soldiers in Arias. It was made even more so because the commanders—Yvikka and Clair—had given them a strict order of not conducting any and all outgoing operations until their return with exception of emergency situation. Getting sick of just waiting, the brunette then went and readied her lum to search for the commanders. Her fellow soldiers saw her, and, knowing full well what the legion's aide intention was, followed suit. In no time—without an order issued—a search party had formed by itself.

When everything was set, Sisera mounted her steed. She turned to look at Clair's aide, Ersa, beside her, waiting for her signal. The Shield Legion aide nodded in response, and then issued a command.

"Open the gates."

Before the gates were opened, however, the cry of the gate guards broke out, startling the soldiers waiting inside the town's wall.

"There they come! Lady Clair and Lady Yvikka are returning!!"

Relieved remarks could be heard as the news came. The relief, however, didn't last long for the gate guards shouted unpleasant news.

"Ready the healers! They are wounded!"

Hearing the news, Sisera quickly dismounted from her lum, went out of the town through the smaller exits near the town gates, and came running at her commander, calling for her.

"Commander! Commander Yvikka!"

She got no answer, and even as the battered commander passed by her, she didn't even look up to her; her eyes stayed downcast, and her steps were dragged. There was no sign that she was even aware of her surroundings. Very much worried, the brunette then clutched her commander's one shoulder, and asked again in a worried tone.

"Commander Yvikka, what happened?"

This time, Yvikka stopped, and Sisera could feel her body swaying unsteadily under her hand. The commander then brought her head up, and, without even looking at her aide, answered weakly.

"… I'm fine, Sisera… I'm just… a little tired…"

Sisera went silent at the answer. It was very typical of her commander to answer like that, even at the times when she was so obviously troubled, and it didn't reassure her in the slightest. She could only watch as Yvikka shrugged her hand off, and walked heavily toward Arias, meeting up with Ersa halfway, but didn't seem to pay attention to her. The brunette then turned to Clair, wanting to get an answer from her, but even before she worded her question, the Shield Legion commander shook her head, waved the question down with a gesture from her hand. The aide was disappointed with the commanders' silence. Not getting any reassurance made Sisera feel a mixed feeling within her; some part of her was glad that they returned, but a larger part of her was worried at the glimpse of expression she caught on Yvikka's face.

Ersa caught up with the officers, glad upon finding that Clair, her commander, was looking quite lively despite the battle wounds she was covered with.

"Lady Clair, are you okay?" The devoted aide asked.

"I'm fine, Ersa," answered Clair.

"Are you hurt badly somewhere?"

"Un… I'm hurt, yes, but nothing serious, really, it's just…"

Clair moved her one arm, which she put across her almost bare chest, revealing the severely damaged armor and the hint of the burn on her skin. Her aide gasped at the glimpse of her commander's injury.

"Apris… Lady Clair…" The young woman exclaimed softly, "… Who did this to you… ?"

"I'll explain it later in the briefing," Clair answered softly.

Ersa nodded obediently at her commander's response. Looking at Clair's condition, which was far from presentable, the aide then took off her tunic, and wrapped it around her commander, so as to keep her honor, leaving herself dressed only with her armor. While she was putting on clothes on Clair, she asked her a question.

"Lady Clair… What happened to Lady Yvikka?"

"… She…" The commander answered hesitantly, "… She… had gone through quite an ordeal out there… but she'll be alright, at least for now."

"I see…" Was Ersa's response. She was worried about Yvikka. When she met up with her dark haired friend before catching up with Clair, she saw the empty expression on her face, which very much resembled Clair's face when she returned with the news of Nel Zelpher's demise weeks ago; and she was afraid that Yvikka would fall into similar condition.

When the group of officers finally entered the town, they were met with many astonished, yet terrified expressions from their soldiers. Soldiers and runologists fell silent at the sight of their battered commanders, and all of them were wondering on what they had faced out there. They were already troubled by the darkest night, and now, seeing from their commanders' condition, they knew that there was another trouble out there. The squad captains soon rallied their soldiers, putting them in order, and prepared themselves for the briefing from their commanders.

Meanwhile, Clair accompanied her troubled friend, Yvikka, back to her room, followed by the aides. While the Chain Legion commander had refused to go to the treatment chamber, Clair had offered herself to treat her wounds, but the soldier turned it down, saying that she will be all right. She entered her room, and, after a brief conversation hidden from others with Clair, she closed the door and locked it from inside, leaving Clair outside of her room, accompanied by the legion aides.

"Lady Clair…" Sisera braced herself to ask the question she'd wanted to ask before, "What happened to Lady Yvikka?"

"Let us not talk about that for the moment," Clair answered softly, "She wants to be by herself for now, and… Sisera, I want you to stay here and watch over her. I'm going to hold a general meeting later, but you needn't come. Ersa will come to you and brief you separately. Just keep your eyes and ears on her."

"Understood, Lady Clair."

"I trust it that you can take over Lady Yvikka's duty for the time being?" Clair asked the brunette.

"I can do that, milady," the aide answered dutifully.

"Very good."

---

Yvikka was now alone in her room, feeling very much uncertain of what to do. Her heart was still aching badly, and her mind seemed unable to escape the grasp of her dark past. Trapped in the middle of confusion, she collapsed onto her bed, not caring if she hadn't even changed; her sword was still hanging on her waist, and blood from her wounds stained the sheets.

_This curse… Is there truly nothing I can do to release this?_

_I thought that I'd forgotten that… _

_I thought that I have proven that father was wrong… but…_

Suddenly, pain shot up her right arm, breaking her line of thought. Yvikka felt as if there was fire spreading from her right arm and burning her whole body, enveloping her in the world of hurt. There was no wondering, for the woman was well-aware of its cause—a disorder of runological flow within her body. The flow had started to stir in the wake of her last spell, and had become worse on her journey back to Arias. And now, it was just about to reach its peak. When it finally came, blood burst out from the veins in her right hand, as it was the part of her body which suffered the most runological strain during the casting, making her even more bloodied than before.

… _Don't cry…_

_Sisera… she's right by the door…I can't let her know…_

_At least not now…_

But the agony was so great that the commander had to bit the pillow to restrain herself from crying. The bleeding from her arm hadn't stopped, and her body shook heavily from the blood loss. She felt her eyes heaving, and she started to feel incredibly sleepy.

… _No… don't… sleep…_

_If I fell asleep… I might never wake up…_

_If I never wake up again… then… I…_

… _can't protect Lady Clair…_

…

And so she mustered all that remained from herself; struggling to stay awake with the might of will.

To fight the darkness that just kept on coming.


	12. Her Doubt

Disclaimers # 1: I don't own Star Ocean. It is the rightful property of Square-Enix's. The OCs are still mine, however.

Disclaimers # 2: This fanfiction is based on another fanfiction titled Two Soldiers: Fire and Ice authored by Artemis' Bow, therefore, our plots may cross at some certain points. To those who are new to this story, it is highly recommended for you to read Artemis' Two Soldiers as well if you want to get a better grasp to this story. A very special thanks to Artemis' Bow, for her approval, help and support have made this fic possible. If you like this story, half of the credit shall go to her. This story is also dedicated to her.

Author's Note: Here is the next update after a month. I promise that I will do my best to update faster next time. A deep gratitude goes to those who have stayed with me and this story despite the slacking update, and even more to those who have kindly left reviews. Those are very encouraging. Again, I'll restate my promise: I WILL finish this story, no matter how long it'll take.

And now… happy reading.

**The Third Soldier: Another Heart**

**Chapter 11**

**Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf—Her Doubt**

The dark-haired woman looked at the reflection in the mirror in her room, sighing. She saw herself there, pale and sunken. The night before had been chaotic, draining, and agonizing in extreme; both mentally and physically. While her body was struggling with the runological chaos within it, her mind was harassed by the images of her dark past, her curse, which took most of her strength and will to ward off. In the end, it was an even battle. Her bodily problem hadn't really subsided, but she was alive, and it was her victory. The problem of her mind was a lot tougher to deal with, but she managed to drive it back to the back of her mind, keeping her sanity in place.

The woman then turned to look at her bed, finding it soaked red and brown with blood from her wounds—the testament of the struggle for her life. It was truly the worst mess she'd ever had with her bed in her whole life. She sighed again, this time longer and deeper in the knowing that she honestly couldn't hope for any better outcome. She could've died that night; or worse, she could've lost herself forever in the overwhelming tide of guilt and regret. The fact that she was still alive, capable of moving, and was still herself; all those were quite a miracle.

_I don't know for how long I can keep on like this,_ she thought to herself.

_Sooner or later, I'd lose myself, and that is worse than death…_

_I…_

… _DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!_

Her heart ached at the thought. She hated it. She hated the every moment when she absolutely had no idea of what to do, for it made her feel useless and meaningless. The thought lingered for a short while before Yvikka finally decided to put it aside in favor of calming herself down by doing something else—taking care of her messed bed. Of course, she could just bring the bloodstained stuff to the laundry; however, that might raise questions about her condition, which she didn't want to happen. Therefore, she decided to do it discreetly.

The dark haired woman inhaled one long, deep breath before putting her hand on the deeply stained sheets, and then managed a spell. A faint glow of aura coursed from her hand down to the sheets. After awhile, the faint aura went up out of the sheets, bringing the blood that once stained the cloth. After Yvikka made sure that all the blood stain had been removed by the spell, she then gathered the blood in a safe place, and cast a minor fire spell to burn it.

Yvikka smiled to herself as she finished the process. She remembered that this particular spell was one of the very first spells she learned. She learned it from her mother, who often did it to clean heavy stain unmanageable by normal means. Reminiscence of her family then came to her mind.

_Mother…_

_Father…_

_Armenee… my home town…_

_Everything and everyone that I'd tried so hard to ignore, to forget…_

She shook the memories off, unwilling to let them to rematerialize completely in her mind. She couldn't really say that she had a dark past—there were moments of joy and happiness among the buried recollections, but after what that happened…

… _I couldn't bear to remember…_

When another battle of thoughts was about to erupt, the woman once again buried it deep within her mind. She then went over and got herself some fresh clothes, planning on taking care of herself with a bath. When she opened the door of her room, she saw her aide, Sisera, asleep near by her room. As a rule, soldiers are trained to be light sleepers; even when they're asleep, their senses are still aware of their surroundings. Being a soldier, a creaking of an opened door should be enough to wake Sisera up, but it didn't; and that fact told the commander that her aide was so tired that she was deep asleep. Beside the young soldier was a new set of armor wrapped inside a special casing, which Yvikka knew that it was prepared for her.

_Sisera…_ The commander said in her heart.

… _Sorry to trouble you…_

Not wanting to disturb the soldier's slumber, Yvikka then silently made her way to the quarter's bathing room, but not before putting the new armor inside her room. Done with washing herself and treating her wounds, she went back to her room, finding the sleeping aide still there. She laughed silently at the sight, for it was quite a rare happening to behold. After she'd dressed in a new uniform, the commander went out again to see her aide, intending to wake her up so that she could return to her quarter and have a rest there.

"Sisera," she called softly near by the sleeper's ear.

There was no response.

"Sisera, wake up,"

The sleeper moaned inaudibly, and shifted her body, but then fell back to sleep.

A small smile crept up Yvikka's face without her even realizing it. Under normal circumstances, she would've awarded the soldier with a reprimand and an extra kitchen duty to do, but now she couldn't bring herself to do it. Out of all of her soldiers, and for reasons she didn't know, Sisera seemingly to be very attached to her. When she got herself into something dangerous, Sisera would be the one who is most worried. Thinking back on how she behaved and looked before, Yvikka knew that it must have made her worried.

_Worrying is tiresome, really… _The commander thought again.

_Well then, this should do it…_

Smiling, the dark haired woman then stood up, inhaled one deep breath, and shot out in her commander's tone.

"WAKE UP, SOLDIER! I DIDN'T REMEMBER ORDERING YOU TO SLEEP DURING THE NIGHT SHIFT!"

"!"

The command got the soldier. In response, she forced her weary body up to stand upright almost in a jump, but was barely able to keep it up. The commander saw it clearly, that her body was swaying, and her eyes were bloodshot. She knew that her aide was truly tired.

"M-my apologies, c-commander…" Said the aide.

Yvikka lifted up another smile at Sisera's response, and replied.

"At ease, soldier. I wake you up just so that you can return to your quarter and have a rest in a more appropriate place."

The soldier, however, still very much sleep-fogged, was unable to fully comprehend her commander's words, and responded nonchalantly.

"I beg your pardon, commander, but no kitchen duty for me?"

That response got a laugh from the other woman, which was met by Sisera's bewildered look. Before she could even ask why, her commander cut her in.

"No, no kitchen duty for you," said Yvikka, barely able to restrain the laugh, "Just return to your quarter and have a rest."

At the face of her commander's words, Sisera complied, albeit subconsciously, without complaining. With a typical 'yes ma'am' response and an instinctive salute, she dismissed herself, and walked heavily toward her quarter.

Yvikka watched her aide until she disappeared into a corner in the hallway, and then returned to her own room. Before long, she heard a loud thudding as if someone was running along the corridor. Just when the commander thought that something urgent is happening at the moment, the door to her room was yanked opened all in a sudden, revealing Sisera with a tense face behind it.

"Sisera, what's wrong?" Asked the commander.

The brunette's face softened in response. Driven more by passion and desire rather than logical thought, she paced closer to her commander, moving a hand to her shoulder.

"It's… It's really you…" Sisera muttered as she got a hold on Yvikka's firm shoulder.

"Sisera, wha-"

"It's truly you! Oh, thank Apris! Yvikka, you're okay!"

With the words, Sisera wrapped her commander in a strong embrace so suddenly that it took the other woman aback. Words of objections were about to come out of her lips, but the thought of Sisera's worries for her halted it.

_Well… if this is her way to let go of that, I can't complain, I guess. I've made her worried, anyway._

And so, she stayed silent in compliance, eventually returning the embrace with soft strokes to her aide's hair and back.

"I'm worried… so worried…" Were Sisera's whispers as she clung for the dear life to her commander.

"I'm sorry to make you worried," Yvikka whispered back.

At the response, Sisera lifted her face to look at Yvikka, and was met by a smile from the other woman. The aide smiled back in answer, but the smile didn't last long as she abruptly shook herself off from the embrace, her eyes widened as if a realization had struck her hard.

"Oh! Oh, no! Wh-what have I d-done… ?" Said the brunette, almost in a shriek. Her amber eyes then went on to her commander, looking at the dark eyes in something like a regret, which was soon voiced.

"C-commander Yvikka, ma'am… I-I apologize for my impertinence. I… lost myself, and…"

"It's okay," Yvikka cut in with a gentle voice, putting a finger on Sisera's lips, effectively stopping her argument.

"You're tired," the commander spoke again, "And it's easier for a tired person to get lost. Go and get as much rest as you need. Report to me when you're ready, all right?"

"But, comman-"

"No argument," Yvikka cut her short with a smile, slightly pressing her finger against the soft lips, "A sleepy soldier is as good as a dead soldier. Do you get that… soldier?"

This time there was no debate for Sisera fully recognized the truth in the commander's words. With utter devotion, she took an upright stance, saluted, and finally dismissed herself to her quarter under the watchful eyes of her commander.

---

Arias Manor conference room, the next morning.

Clair Lasbard already had her squad leaders gathered in the room, and was ready to begin with the briefing. But still, there was one thing amiss.

She looked over the room, finding three vacant chairs close to her. One she knew that it belongs to Nel, her friend who was journeying with Fayt at the moment. The other two was supposedly reserved for Yvikka and Sisera, who represented the Chain Legion; however, neither of them was present now.

"Do you want me to look for Captain Sisera?" Offered Ersa, Clair's devoted aide.

"I apologize for my coming late."

The familiar voice cut through Clair's response to her aide's offer. The silver haired commander looked up to the room entrance, slightly surprised to find Yvikka standing by there, for she didn't really expect her to be able to attend the briefing, considering what that she'd had the day before.

"Uh… yes. Please take your seat. The briefing is about to begin."

"Thank you."

The dark-haired commander, seemingly ignoring Clair's and Ersa'a bewildered look, paced up to the chair reserved for her, and sat. Only then she realized that the two Shield Legion officers were looking awkwardly at her.

"Lady Clair, Ersa, is there something wrong?"

"Un, n-nothing," Clair stammered, but managed to ask, "Are you all right? I mean… you are wounded in the skirmish the day before, and I don't recall you being treated."

"I'm fine, Lady Clair," Yvikka replied softly, "My wounds have been treated, and nothing serious about them."

"I see… Where's Sisera, by the way?"

"She is too tired to actually attend the briefing, so I tell her to take as much rest as she need."

Clair sighed, relieved at the fact that her friend was seemingly all right. Lifting up a smile, she then stood up, casting her eyes to the whole room, and opened her lips.

"Very well. Let us begin the briefing, then," Clair began, "Following yesterday's briefing, the last reconnaissance mission conducted had encountered alien fiends unlike anything else, which, by our early analysis, believed to be connected with 'The Darkest Night'. From the encounters, I reckon that these fiends are stronger than any ordinary fiends, and are highly lethal. So far, we have only encountered two of them, each from one kind. If those were all of them, then it is all good, but we cannot ignore the probability that there are more of them out there."

The last sentence struck everyone to silence. Though the commanders were the only ones who'd encountered the fiends, the condition in which they returned after the encounter bore stories of how fierce they were.

"Should there are more of such fiends…" Sounded a random captain, "… We would have problem with outgoing operations. Patrols, supplies, couriers, anything."

"That is what that I'm afraid of," the Shield Legion commander confirmed the concern, "I'm anticipating the matter to come, but for now, my main concern is to find out whether the alien fiends still exist or not. Therefore, today's operations will be mainly limited reconnaissance patrols. The main objective is to explore areas up to the second checkpoint and search for any sign of anomalies. Going further than the assigned area is strictly prohibited and unnecessary confrontation with fiends, especially the alien ones should be avoided. I also require that the outgoing patrol groups should be accompanied by at least two Clestia-ranked or higher runologists. After this briefing, I want each patrol group to report to me before departing. Any question?"

"Ma'am," A captain raised his hand.

"Go ahead."

"Speaking about anomalies occurred ever since 'The Darkest Night'… aside from the syndrome experienced by runologists, I think farm and pet animals in this town have been acting strange as well. Lums are struck by anxiety, and it is difficult to calm them down. We also have reports about people attacked by their own pets. All those happened yesterday."

Her eyes widened at her soldier's words. She recalled the Dire Wolf cub that she and Yvikka had encountered—the cub turned into a demonic alien being and nearly killed them both.

_If that is to happen here…_

"I see," Clair replied calmly; her expression seemingly unchanged despite her worries, "Animals go rabid… It might be that the wild, 'native' beasts out there will become more aggressive as well. To address this, I want everyone who is not on patrol duty to keep a close watch on the animals we have here. Anything else?"

When no one seemed to have anything to speak of, Clair then turned to see Yvikka, only to find her looking lost.

"Yvikka," she called, "Is there anything you want to add or ask?"

"No," the other woman responded rather absently, but managed to look at her superior and lifted a small, sad smile, "I have no more to speak of. You have handled that well, Lady Clair."

"… Very well," Clair managed after awhile, "If so, then today's meeting is adjourned. We will meet again in the evening briefing. Until then, I want everyone to be on full alert; remember that survival is paramount—complete your assigned mission without taking any unnecessary risk. May the grace of Apris be with us all. You're dismissed."

Upon the dismissal, the soldiers got up their chairs and went to prepare for the mission to come, watched by the solemn eyes of their silver-haired commander. Clair drew a deep sigh, fully realizing the dangers that her subordinates would face once they stepped out of the town wall. Were it not for the alien fiends, she wouldn't worry this much because she was sure that they could take on ordinary fiends all right. She had witnessed it the other day, the fierce power that they possessed that had nearly killed her and her friend. As she thought about her particular friend, she then looked over the room once again, glad upon finding Yvikka was still in the room, and called out.

"Yvikka."

The dark haired woman turned at the calling of her name, and answered.

"Yes, Lady Clair?"

"Nothing important," Clair said as she paced closer to see her friend, "I… just want to ensure that you're really all right."

"I'm all right, Lady Clair. Thank you for the concern."

Despite the spoken assurance, Clair still felt that Yvikka isn't really all right. She examined her face, finding her all but closed off. Something was hidden beneath the calm face she was putting up, but Clair couldn't really tell.

"Very well, if you say so," the silver haired managed at last, "You know, considering your condition yesterday, I honestly don't expect to see you back on duty this soon. And because of that, I have no specific duty for you to carry out, so, I think that you might as well take a rest for the day."

"Thank you, Lady Clair, but I'm afraid that I can't take your suggestion to rest. I already have a plan for me to do," Yvikka replied gently.

"And that is… ?"

"I plan to go to Peterny. I have a feeling that my soldiers are having a rough time there following the recent events. Hopefully, they are not so that I can make it back here before evening."

Clair went silent at the answer. She could understand the commander's concern for her soldiers, but she was still worried about her as well. Personally, Clair didn't want Yvikka to go, but to tell her to not go would contradict with her 'commander's sense'.

"I'll be all right, Lady Clair. I can hold my own out there," the dark-haired commander assured, as if knowing her concern.

"Let me come with you, then. Just to be safe," Clair blurted out of worries.

"No, Lady Clair. Please don't," Yvikka replied promptly, "It is unwise if you come along only to ensure the well-being of a single soldier… Your soldiers need you more here, especially when any of those alien fiends appeared nearby."

The Shield Legion commander could not talk back in the face of her fellow commander's words. She realized that she is being selfish, and Yvikka's words were true. Baring that, she knew that she has no other option but agree.

"All right, then, I understand," Clair agreed, albeit reluctantly, "Just… take care, and return safely, okay?"

"I will, Lady Clair."

---

Palmira Plains, halfway to the commercial city Peterny.

Yvikka took note as she examined the remains of a fiend which she'd run into a while ago. It was actually a native monster, but what that disturbed her was the fact that the particular beast is not 'native' in the area.

_I've never seen this kind here before, _she thought. _Their dwellings should be somewhere further north._

_Is this also caused by that 'Darkest Night'?_

Finished with her notes, she then crept back silently to where her steed was waiting for her as she spotted several more monsters around her vicinity. As soon as she got to her lum, she quickly mounted herself, and continued her journey to Peterny in the fastest gallop as her steed could.

Eventually, she eased off so as not to force her mount too much. As she pulled the rein, pain stung up her right arm in a sudden. Blood marks started to appear on the tunic covered the arm, and she could feel blood flowing beneath the gauntlet, on to the leather glove before finally dripping off of it. In response, she quickly poked some certain pressure points along the arm in order to lessen the bleeding.

_Apris… It still hasn't stopped?_

It was the aftereffect of the spell she'd cast yesterday—extreme runological strain the spell had caused took its toll in the caster's body. It was not as bad as the one she'd had in the night before, so she knew that she'd be all right; but the reminiscence it brought to her mind—the recollection of all things she'd refused to remember—was utterly disturbing.

_Damn it, father… why did you teach me this?_

_Why did you give me this curse?_

_Had it not for this spell, I'd…_

…

Suddenly, Yvikka realized something—something that she'd never thought of before.

…

… _I'd have… died. I'd have died that day… and…_

… _and even if I survived that day… Lady Clair and I would have died yesterday…_

The thought calmed her somehow, as it seemed to be a good reasoning for a thing which she'd long considered a 'curse'. That, however, didn't last long as another image struck her.

… _But… why…?_

_BUT WHY SHOULD YOU DIE WITHOUT TELLING ME A THING?!_

As she was torn between feeling thankful or cursed for her late father's 'gift', her senses flared in a sudden—a flare of danger. Somehow, her lum felt that too, and jolted sideways in response. Something hit the ground nearby, causing a loud explosion which knocked the steed and its rider down. Yvikka was able to jump off her steed in the last second so as to avoid being crushed under the beast. She hit the ground shoulder first, rolled over and finally got back to her feet. The soldier instinctively reached for her sword, but her sword arm—her right arm—could barely heed her mind's command.

Hidden under the thick cloud of dust and smoke, the jet-black orbs saw an image of a six-winged, long-armed humanoid being emanating the menacing aura, which the soldier had somehow become accustomed with.

_Tch… Damn…_

---

It was nearing nightfall in Arias.

The silver-haired guardian of the town, Clair Lasbard could be seen walking around the newly arrived patients in the treatment chamber, checking them one by one and talking encouragement to keep their spirits alive.

They were all the casualties from the reconnaissance groups sent today.

The number of casualties for a single day's operation was quite staggering to some extent. Out from the group comprised of at least six soldiers and two runologists, most returned with only half of them remaining. The survivors returned with reports on sightings of various alien fiends; among them fit the description of the ones Clair had seen the day before.

It was quite heartening for Clair to hear that some of her soldiers were able to fend the fiends off, and that none of the groups was completely annihilated. But still, she had lost many of her finest soldiers, and even more were pretty much discouraged by the sheer power they'd encountered, which saddened her very much.

After seeing several of her subordinates, the commander then stopped at a certain soldier who had her one arm and torso bandaged because of the severe burn she suffered.

She was Ersa, her aide, who'd led a search party to recover a recon group that was overdue. She succeeded in rescuing the remains of the group, but got wounded in the process. Reports said that she got in a tangle with an angel-like being, and managed to fight it off.

Clair settled herself in the bedside carefully, so as not to jar the wounded soldier, and then looked gently at the young woman who'd always stood faithfully by her side. She remembered at how lively her aide was in the morning's briefing, very much in the opposite of her present condition, and it caused the commander a slight pang of remorse.

"She will be fine," sounded a woman's voice, who turned out to be Aline, the head doctor.

"She's just asleep," the doctor assured again, "I've seen her through worse, and I'm sure she'll make it through this."

"Yeah, she will," Clair replied with a smile, "Ersa is one strong girl."

The door to the room creaked opened. Sisera, Yvikka's aide staggered into the room with a bandage strapped around her forehead. The said bandage was wet, soaked red with blood from the wound it was covering—even trickles of blood could be seen coming down her cheek.

"I think… I need a bandage change…" Sisera spoke huskily, "The bleeding… it won't stop…"

"Yes, right away," Aline replied rapidly, "Just lie down and relax. Someone please get me a light here!"

"Here," Clair responded, taking out the glowstone—a light-emitting stone—she always brought with her, and lit it up, "Will this do?"

"Yes, this will do. Now, hold it right there… nah!"

Aline carefully—yet swiftly—opened the bloodied bandage, furrowing a brow upon finding that the wound hadn't been properly treated, hence the prolonged bleeding. Without a word, she managed a minor healing spell, and then proceeded with the proper treatment before finally wrapped it up with a fresh, clean bandage.

"All done," Aline said contentedly.

"Thanks, Aline."

"No problem. Just remember to check it up tomorrow morning, okay?"

Without even waiting for the soldier's answer, the doctor then left to attend another patient, leaving Sisera with Clair. The brunette aide sighed, and then turned to the Shield Legion commander, and called out.

"Lady Clair."

"Yes, Sisera?"

"Can I… ask you a question?" The brunette asked timidly.

"Of course. What is it?" Was Clair's reply.

"… Lady Yvikka… did she promise to return here before nightfall?"

"Well… she said 'hopefully', so I don't think that she made any promise," Clair answered.

Sisera drew a deep sigh at the answer, and muttered almost inaudibly.

"… Glad to hear that…"

"What's the matter?" It was Clair's turn to ask.

Sisera didn't answer immediately. She drew another, slightly deeper sigh, and then managed an answer.

"… Lady Clair… you know, Lady Yvikka always keeps promises. If she had promised to return before nightfall, then she certainly would have returned by now. Now that she didn't make any promise… then I think I shouldn't worry…"

"Your friends in Peterny might be having as much trouble as we do here. Therefore, Yvikka might decide to spend more time there to handle the problem. She's the commander, after all," Clair said, trying to be heartening.

"I know…" Sisera muttered again, "With all those trades, smugglings, disputes, uprisings… and now, these wicked monsters… I'm just worried that she doesn't take enough rest…"

"I see that everyone's here," sounded another, familiar voice.

The two officers turned to the direction of the voice, and found another commander standing by the door.

"Yvikka!" Clair exclaimed, very much surprised, "When did you return?"

"I've just gotten here," she replied, stepping closer to her superior and her aide.

"How's Peterny and the others?" Asked Sisera.

"Peterny is fine," Yvikka answered her aide, "Lucille has gotten everything under control. We shouldn't have to worry about it."

"Oh, that's a relief…" said Sisera, her voice now spirited.

Yvikka smiled at the response, then looked up, casting her eyes to the whole room; finding it fully laden with the dead and dying.

"These…" The dark-eyed commander muttered, "Are they the casualties of today's operation?"

"Yes…" Clair answered lowly, "… And this is just for a single day of operation. I'm afraid that—"

Clair cut her sentence short as she looked up to her fellow commander. Her pale brown eyes saw them, the torn in her clothes, the dirt covering her face and her uniform with blood marks mixed in, and the chipped gauntlets she was wearing—the obvious marks of battle.

Yvikka heard her superior stopped her sentence, then looked down to her, only to meet Clair's worried eyes. She knew exactly what Clair is worrying about, and lifted up her reassurance.

"I got in a tangle with fiends, yes, but I'm fine. These are all but flesh wounds. I can deal with them myself."

"I know you'll say that," Clair said, "But while you're here, wouldn't it be better to have your wounds checked?"

The dark haired woman shook her head gently at the suggestion, and replied.

"Not now. The doctors and healers seem to be busy now, and there are more of those who need their attention more than I do," she then paused, and went on, "Anyway, Lady Clair, I've got some findings to report."

"Very well. Let us go to my room to hear it."

Clair stood up, and then moved toward the treatment chamber's exit. Yvikka followed her superior, but not before applauded her aide for her safe return, considering the dangers she'd faced during the day's operation.

"I'm glad to see you safe, Sisera."

"I'm glad to see you safe as well, commander," the aide answered, returning her commander's smile with one of her own.

---

"So, what do you find?" Clair asked as she closed the door to her chamber.

"Not particularly new to you, I assume," Yvikka answered, "I believe that the recon groups you sent today have confirmed the presence of the alien monsters just like what we'd encountered, as well as beasts not native in the vicinity."

"True," Clair spoke, settling herself in her chair, "If it's about the alien ones, we already have a wild guessing about them, but in the case of the non-indigenous ones… I really don't know how to explain it. Are they migrating here all of a sudden in an overnight? It's just utterly nonsensical! How could beasts from the northern and eastern plains travel here in such a number unnoticed?"

"I doubt if they are just _migrating_, but I have no better idea. Considering that this is also caused by 'The Darkest Night' sounds more sensible to me, however."

"Are you saying that 'The Darkest Night' also move those beasts in an instant?"

"If that can cause fiends unlike anything else to appear here in an overnight, why can't it move beasts from one place to another in the same manner?" Was Yvikka's prompt answer, "It is too early to make a conclusion, anyway. We can't just blame that worrisome night for everything."

"You're probably right…" Clair sighed, leaning her slender figure more to the chair.

"Speaking about the alien fiends, my soldiers reported sightings of them in the vicinity of Palmira Plains, Sanmite Steppe, and Irisa Fields. Recent reports that I received from Aquios this afternoon while I'm in Peterny state that such fiends are also sighted along the way to Mosel Dunes—and it is highly likely that they are in the Mosel Dunes as well."

"By the name of Apris!" Clair exclaimed; her eyes widened in surprise and slight terror, "That's almost the whole major roads in the kingdom!"

"Judging from that fact, I'm afraid that they also appear in Cirga Plains further north of Aquios, and also in Therithys Plains to the east, all the way to our eastern coastline… it can be properly assumed that our kingdom has been overrun by these alien fiends."

Clair bowed her head as her friend finished talking, deep in thought. She was completely aware of the trouble that might arise, but that was not her real concern.

_Angels… Demons… _Clair said in her mind; her thought drifted to her first encounter with the alien fiends, the words the angelic fiend told her echoed.

"_Those who defy the will of the Creator shall be terminated. Irregularities shall be deleted."_

…

… _The 'Creator', _Clair thought. _Is this Creator truly desire total destruction?_

The silver haired woman sighed deeply, feeling somewhat troubled. If the 'Creator' truly intended destruction, she would be more than willing to fight it, but she didn't know how. Let alone battling it physically; the words on the fiends' strength and their claim of the 'Creator' were more than enough to discourage people.

_If we are to do battle with them… defeat is inevitable._

"In any case," Yvikka's voice broke through Clair's train of thought, "Her Majesty is having everyone to look into the matter. Until Aquios completes their investigation, all of Her Majesty's servants are ordered to remain calm while keeping order in place among people. Contact with the alien fiends should also be minimized."

"Her Majesty has issued an order? I haven't received any word from Aquios until now," Clair asked in slight confusion.

"That's because the order has just been issued today. I happened to meet the royal messengers destined to send the order to Arias in Peterny. They're in bad shape from the journey, so I offer to deliver the order here instead," Yvikka answered her commander's confusion, taking out two message tubes from her tunic and handing them over to Clair, "One I believe is the order, and the other one is Her Majesty's personal letter for you."

"Thank you Yvik—"

The fair commander stopped in a sudden as the message tubes came to her hand. She felt something odd with them—something liquid, yet a bit sticky. Clair then put the tubes on the table in favor of taking a closer look on what was that actually, drawing a slight gasp as she realized it.

The thick, red liquid—blood.

Without giving Yvikka a chance to react, Clair quickly stood up, grabbed the soldier's right arm and pulled her closer, feeling the cloth covering the arm she was grabbing was wet. Apparently, it was where the blood came from—and it was still bleeding pretty badly even as Clair was holding it.

"Yvikka… you're bleeding…" Said Clair, very much worried.

Clair then looked up to look at her friend more clearly. She now saw it that Yvikka was sweating too much, which she hadn't really noticed before. She lifted her free hand up to the other woman's forehead, finding it burning from fever.

"Oh, no, Yvikka… you… you've got a fever. You need a doctor!"

_No!_

"Lady Clair! Don't—"

Yvikka saw her superior was about to dash out of the room, obviously to call for a doctor. Unwilling to let her to do so, she turned and reached her hand out, attempting to hold the silver haired woman; but the sudden movement she was pulling out made the headache she's been feeling goes unbearably worse all of a sudden. Her vision, as well as the rest of her senses blurred, but only for a split-second. She managed to stay conscious, and by the time she was fully aware again, she found herself on the floor with Clair's worried voice ringing in her ears.

"Yvikka!"

Yvikka tried to get back to her feet on her own, but was unable to do so until Clair came to her aide.

"Look, Yvikka, this is not the time to look tough. You're wounded, and wounded badly. You need a doctor now!" Clair reprimanded, her face serious, "Stay here. I'll get Aline from the treatment chamber, all right?"

"If… If you do that… she'll find out! Lady Clair!"

The yell stunned Clair, making her reconsider her intention. She cast a bemused look at Yvikka, who was staring back at her with an expression that could only be described as despaired.

"What… what do you mean?" Clair managed her question, "… Find out what?"

The battered soldier didn't answer. Instead, she grabbed the slender arm holding her, shoving it off, and forced her way to the door.

"Lady Clair… I'm sorry…"

With those words, Yvikka left the room, leaving Clair shocked and wondered. It took a while for the Shield Legion commander to regain herself. When she actually did, she stormed out of the room in attempt to get to Yvikka, but the dark-haired woman was nowhere nearby.

Clair then dropped herself back to her chair, feeling a slight guilt as she looked again at the blood-covered message tubes which started all that. Her mind trailed off, thinking about Yvikka's words before she left the room.

"_She'll find out," _the words echoed again.

… _But find out what?_

_She has too many secrets with her._

_Even now, I'm wondering… who are you really? Why do you enroll as a regular soldier, with that… power that you possess, and that skill with runology you've displayed…I just…_

Clair's eyes widened in realization as she thought about what that her friend had done—the one thing which Yvikka had told her to keep secret, something that had seemingly troubled her friend.

_That spell! It could be that!_

_It is… like nothing else that I've known, but it seems powerful… too powerful to be conjured by someone not a runologist._

_Such a powerful spell would surely require a distinctive pattern of runological mark to be inscribed on her body in order to be invoked. And if someone sees that mark…_

… _If that's the case, then why?_

… _Why is it so important that you don't want it to be known… that you have to go to such length even at the risk of your life?_

… _And what is it that disturb you so much… ?_

Meanwhile, Yvikka had been able to drag herself back to her room. Her heart was full with guilt and regret, and her mind was so crowded with many thoughts that she could not think clearly.

_Why…?_

_Why she has to find this out?_

_Why she has to bother with this?_

…

_Why this even exists in the first place?_

---

Several days had passed since then.

While the situation around her wasn't improving, mostly because of the alien monsters—now referred to as 'Vile Wind Fiends'—Clair couldn't help but feeling that Yvikka was getting more and more distant from her. Of course, she still took orders from her, and carried out the missions without complaining. On the other hand, she rarely talked to Clair ever since, except in briefings; and seemed reluctant to meet her face to face. Their relationship—which once had been as close as 'close friends'—had somehow deteriorated to mere superior – subordinate relationship.

But their relationship was not all of Clair's worries.

Ever since the dark haired woman closed herself from her, Clair often found Yvikka not present in her chamber despite the fact that the Chain Legion commander does not have any mission. When she eventually returned, she often bore marks of battle with her. Hard-pressed by her worries, Clair had tried to seek answer about this from Sisera, Yvikka's aide; but it turned out that Sisera could not provide the satisfactory answer for all she knew were all that her commander had told her.

"I'm fine Lady Clair. There's nothing to worry about," was all the reply Clair got from asking the dark-eyed commander herself. The look she was wearing while saying those words made Clair certain that she would never get the answer she needed by asking alone—she had to act even further.

And so, in one occasion, as Clair caught her fellow commander going out without any particular assignment, she followed after her—without notice.

---

Yvikka checked on her gear and supplies once more before leaving Arias. After she'd made sure that everything was where they should be, she took a step and started walking toward Palmira Plains. Before she actually left the gates, she felt that something was heaving on her, which made her rethink her actions for a moment.

_Is this… the right thing to do?_

_I wonder what Lady Clair is thinking about this…_

The dark haired woman sighed deeply at the thought of Clair. She had been staying away from her for days, and in all honesty, she didn't enjoy even the slightest of it. On the other hand, if she stayed close to her, that would only make Clair worry about her.

_As long as I returned all right… she wouldn't worry_

… _I guess…_

She then went and explored around the plains very much in full alert in realization that the very place was infested with the so-called 'Vile Wind Fiends', and she didn't want to get ambushed by such powerful fiends. Thankfully, the ominous aura the fiends were emanating enabled her to sense their presence around her, which was a great help for her cause.

After a time, she sensed a strong presence nearby. Instead of moving _away_ from it, she actually _approached_ it. The ill-omened air grew thicker as she moved closer to its source, and she got more and more cautious with every step she took. Her attention was so directed to tracking the aura back to its source, leaving her oblivious to the watchful, yet worried brown eyes that had been watching her the entire time.

Clair watched in slight terror as she saw her friend approached two 'demons', seemingly deliberately. When it looked like that Yvikka was about to meet them, she stopped her approach at a terrain-hid position where she could see the demons clearly with less concern of being quickly noticed.

_What is she doing there?_ Clair asked in her mind.

The likely answer to the question came as she saw Yvikka took out something from her tunic, which looked more like a small notes, and started to write something on it, all the while looking at the two demons as they wandered around.

_She is… observing them? So this is a reconnaissance after all…_

Having part of her question answered, Clair then continued her watch over Yvikka since the distance between the soldier and the fiends was dangerously close, hoping that everything would go without a blood spilled. Clair drew a relieved sigh when Yvikka finally put her notes back into her tunic, seemingly finished with it. Just as she thought that the observation was actually finished, she saw the soldier did an unthinkable thing.

She unsheathed her blade.

_No!_

_Don't do anything foolish, Yvikka!_

_Please… please just get back here!_

To Clair's horror, Yvikka jumped out of her hiding place and ran up to the fiends, taking them completely by surprise. She passed right between the two monsters; her blade flashed in two smooth slashes, cutting clear through their bodies with little trouble. Judging from how it looked, the attack would seem to have split the fiends in two, but it didn't. They stood firmly and moved as if nothing happened even as their dark essences pouring out of their wounds.

One of the demons then retaliated with a lunge with its arms, but Yvikka, fully aware of their extraordinary resilience, had already expected the almost-immediate counter attack. She rolled toward the attacker, leaving the arms overshot her harmlessly above her head. The soldier recovered from the evasion right in front of the attacking monster, and came up with a sudden thrust at its midsection, impaling it with such strength that the blade was buried up to the hilt. The other monster, apparently attempting to take the advantage of its now-immobile opponent, jumped for an attack, but was stopped dead in its track as Yvikka shoved two daggers imbued with fire rune at it. Having momentarily thwarting the other fiend, the soldier then pushed at the one she'd just impaled, moved to its side and released her sword from its body with a cutting motion to the side, spilling even more dark essences.

The Shield Legion commander witnessed the battle unfolded before her eyes with a mix of fear and awe. She was awed at her friend's calm fighting form, and at the fact that she could match up to her opponents. However, she still held the fear that the fiends would eventually overwhelm her. Not to mention the worries she was feeling as Yvikka's actions also arose more questions.

_Just what are you trying to accomplish by fighting them like that?!_

Very much captivated by the storm of thoughts going over her head, Clair was somewhat unaware of another demon-like fiend approaching her from behind. The menacing air it was radiating, however, alerted the runologist about the danger. She flung her body to the side just before the fiend's claws lopped her head off. Runological light appeared on the palm of Clair's hands, gradually forming into a dagger of light, which she tossed at the attacker in her flight.

BOOM!

The thundering sound of an explosion caught Yvikka's attention. Along with that, she sensed another strong, yet familiar aura which definitely not from any of the Vile Wind Fiends.

_This presence… could it be…_

The dark-haired warrior then turned to the direction of the sound. Her eyes went the image of the third demon fiend, and then locked on the unmistakable figure with shimmering silver hair fighting it.

_Lady Clair!!_

Purely driven by her need to ensure her dear superior's well-being, Yvikka disengaged from the fiends she was fighting in favor of joining Clair. One of the monsters got in her way, but she quickly dispatched it with a violent uppercut from her sheathed sword, sending it catching the sick air before finally landing behind her. The other one tried to give chase, but was stopped by a series of four daggers imbued with elements.

Clair, for her part, was still engaged in a close encounter. She dodged another attack, and returned it with a fierce, yet graceful flip which send her opponent flying. Not even giving the chance for it to land, Clair attacked again by throwing six runology-enhanced daggers. Just as the daggers hit, the helpless fiend, still airborne, was struck again by a ferocious assault from the oncoming swordswoman; sending it smashing back to earth. And by then, the two commanders—one had been running away from the other—came eye to eye. Browns and blacks intertwined, each filled with questions. Though then, they were also aware enough that now is not the right time to debate. The reek of ill omen caught their attention; the fiends had regained their stand, and moved to surround the warrior and the runologist.

"This is not good," Clair commented the situation, "We're surrounded."

"Then we strike them down," was Yvikka's calm reply, which, to some extent, surprised the other woman.

Clair turned back at the answer, finding her friend's expression was surprisingly calm and confident in spite of the unfavorable situation they were facing. However, having known Yvikka for a time, she knew that her friend know what she is saying. Heartened by the words, Clair then braced herself for battle. Just as she did so, she felt a rise of power from Yvikka—the same feeling that she felt from her when she cast the unknown spell the other day. When she turned again to look at her, she saw it again—pale blue aura formed gradually around her right hand.

"I'll get you out of this death trap," the warrior said again, "Once you're clear, start hitting them with spells. For now, just follow me there."

"Got it."

With one deep, controlled inhalation, Yvikka then focused to one fiend standing right in front of her in the knowing that it was readying a spell. She then cried a battle cry, and started her charge, with Clair following hard behind her.

---

"Unghh…"

"Yvikka!"

A silver haired female runologist ran up to meet Yvikka, the female soldier who was with her in the fierce fight with three monsters known as the 'Vile Wind Fiends'. The fiends were powerful, and they were outnumbered by one. Nevertheless, their combined strength and tactic had managed them to defeat the ethereal fiends.

And now, they were on their way home to Arias.

"I'm fine, Lady Clair… It's just… the aftereffect of the spell is starting to come up," the soldier answered the runologist.

"Let's rest here for now," Clair suggested.

"Okay…"

The two women then made a stop in an open field. While Yvikka settled herself on the grass-covered ground, Clair stood watch for any possible dangers to come. After the runologist had ensured that there were no nearby threats, she then paced up to her companion's side. As she sat beside her, she saw a speck of blood mark started to appear on Yvikka's right arm.

"It's bleeding again…" Clair murmured, very much worried.

"No, it's already stopped. Look…" Said Yvikka.

Clair watched as the blood stain grew bigger than it first appeared, and then stopped completely. When no more stain came up, the runologist became certain that the bleeding had truly stopped.

"That's a relief…" Clair sighed, relieved.

Clair was about to ask Yvikka about all that she'd been doing all these times, but was in doubt because she wasn't sure if this was the right moment to do so. After a time of being so distant from her, the battle with the fiend just before had somehow opened a chance for communication. Still, Clair was afraid that should she bring the topic out; the dark-haired woman would close herself off again, hence ruining the building relationship between them. Yvikka, for her part, knew exactly what her superior was thinking, as well as the reason why she wounded up with her in the battle. It was apparent to her that Clair was following her, for she also knew that the Shield Legion commander had no particular assignment in the area.

_Worries… _Yvikka thought.

… _Foolish I… to think that I can lessen her worries by staying away from her…_

… _I should've realized it…_

_Lady Clair has asked me to not call her 'lady' anymore. She has treated and considered me not as just a mere subordinate…but something more… How can someone who has given so much consideration to you not worry about you when you suddenly change?_

When she thought about it, she felt her cheeks warmed all of a sudden. She then turned her face away—slowly and nonchalantly so as to not attract Clair's attention—not wanting to let the woman see her blush, and sighed.

_If I tell her… maybe she won't worry so much anymore._

…

_Yes, that's it… I have to do it. People worry because they don't know._

_I have to let her know…_

_After all… _

_She has seen it… Is there any reason to keep this hidden from her?_

_I don't know for how long I can keep this to myself… This one thing… that I've been running away from…_

… _And Lady Clair… she seems to always have the answer that I need. To whomever else I can have more confidence on this matter… if not in her?_

…

_I… need her to know…_

Having decided for herself, Yvikka then turned back to see Clair, immediately meeting her in the eyes.

"Clair…"

"Yvikka…"

Silence fell as the two women found themselves calling out each other's name in unison. Clair tilted her head and smiled, feeling glad at the fact that the other woman was willing to actually speak to her, after days in silence. The sweet smile somehow captivated Yvikka, throwing her off-guard and leaving her blush vulnerable to the pale brown eyes.

"I-I'm sorry… you go first… Lady Clai-I mean… Clair," the blushing woman managed, trying to avert Clair's attention from her face.

Clair chuckled at the sight before her. She wasn't accustomed to see Yvikka blush the way she is now, and was wondering at what that could cause it. The thought remained for a short while before she finally refocused to her original intention.

"I… want to apologize for stalking you… and for not being careful enough that I dragged another fiend to the scene."

"Never mind about that," Yvikka replied, "Part of it is my mistake as well. I go out without notice several times, and I take it that I've made you worried… so… Clair, I…"

Yvikka stopped her sentence, apparently reconsidering of doing it, but only for a while. With another deep sigh and a visible lifting of her shoulders, as if she were bracing for a battle, she raised her face to meet her superior's resolute, yet soothing eyes, and lifted her voice.

"Clair… when we get back to Arias… Would you like… to have a tea with me? And maybe… one or two words about all that happened?"

The offer slightly took Clair by surprise for she had never expected her friend to do such a thing, but she was glad that Yvikka actually willed it herself.

"O-of course, Yvikka," Clair responded rather clumsily.

The dark-haired woman smiled relief in response, and went on.

"… I know that I owe you explanation ever since that day, but I never manage to give you one… It's because… I'm afraid. Honestly, Clair… I'm afraid. I'm afraid to face other's opinion of who… or what I am actually. It's just…"

Yvikka lowered her head, her hands on her face, unable to pull herself to continue her sentence.

She felt guilty. Very guilty.

Guilty for having pointed a sword to Clair the other day.

Guilty for not telling her anything.

Guilty for making her worried.

Guilty for being so selfish.

…

"Let's just… go back to Arias for now…" Yvikka muttered.

"Yes, let's go home…" Clair replied gently.


	13. The Truth

Disclaimers # 1: I don't own Star Ocean. It is the rightful property of Square-Enix's. The OCs are still mine, however.

Disclaimers # 2: This fanfiction is based on another fanfiction titled Two Soldiers: Fire and Ice authored by Artemis' Bow, therefore, our plots may cross at some certain points. To those who are new to this story, it is highly recommended for you to read Artemis' Two Soldiers as well if you want to get a better grasp to this story. A very special thanks to Artemis' Bow, for her approval, help and support have made this fic possible. If you like this story, half of the credit shall go to her. This story is also dedicated to her.

And just to further confirm it: we indeed collaborate on working our stories.

Author's Note: Not much to say about this aside that this is the next update. I apologize that I haven't been able to update faster, for my obligations demand much of me lately. My sincerest thanks to all who have stayed with me with this story, and especially to those who kindly left reviews. I hope this chapter can meet your expectations, should there is anything you readers expect from me.

And now… happy reading.

**The Third Soldier: Another Heart**

**Chapter 12**

**Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf—The Truth Behind the Dark Eyes**

_To be honest about your real self to yourself and others… truly needs more will than to kill a man._

Yvikka was sitting up on her bed, looking deeply at herself in the shining blade which she'd just cleaned. She saw many things there; and among them, fear staring her in the face. Sighing, she put the blade aside, got up, and eventually settled herself on her chair rather uneasily. Her heart was a mix of dread and anxiety with only a dim light of courage hidden in the corner. The feeling was somewhat similar to the feeling she felt when she was about to join her first real battle years ago, as a trainee soldier. Though now she was nowhere like in a battleground, but she knew that another battle was about to erupt in her.

The battle of wits to keep her sanity.

The battle of her courage to let her remember all that she'd long running away from, and all that curses laid upon her.

The woman drew a deep sigh in an attempt to relax herself, trying to put together her mind in order, but was unable to do so. Every time she tried to remember, her heart ached as if stuck by an arrow of denial.

Denial of herself.

_In the battlefield, _she said to herself, _once you get your first kill, the rest will be so much easier._

_The demon inside you takes over; robbing your conscience of the value of human lives, and you'll care, most of the time, only to your own life, and at times, your comrades'._

_But this… I don't know if I can keep talking after I said the first word to begin with… I just don't know if I have the courage to actually tell this to the end…_

_It's just…_

Just as she was about to reconsider her decision, someone knocked the door to her room. The soft voice of the person on the other side reminded the wavering woman of one of the reasons why she'd decided to speak. It was the voice of the one person she cared and loved enough for Yvikka to share the story of her life with.

"Yvikka, it's me. May I come in now?"

Upon the call, Yvikka got up her chair, walked up to the door, and opened it, finding her dearest friend standing close before her.

It was Clair, fine-looking and refreshing as always. The scars from the battle with the Vile Wind Fiends a few hours ago was still visible despite the treatment she'd had; yet, she didn't seem to lose any of her grace.

In Clair's presence, the dark-haired soldier instinctively lifted her hand in a salute, but the superior officer didn't answer in the like manner. Instead, Clair made a face, which in turn made Yvikka wondering. When the soldier didn't seem to get her point, Clair then put one hand on the woman's saluting hand, and guided it down, smiling.

"Good evening, Yvikka."

"Um… Er… Good evening… Clair…" Yvikka answered, slightly taken by surprise by Clair's unexpected response.

"Now that's more like it," Clair beamed, trying to put her friend at ease, "You don't invite me here for anything like work, do you?"

Yvikka couldn't help but smile back at the fair woman. Clair always knew how to ease a disturbed mind, and that was what makes her a fine commander, loved and adored by her subordinates and people in general.

"No, I'm not," said Yvikka, moving away from the door so as to let Clair enters the room, "Please come in."

At her friend's invitation, Clair stepped into the room, immediately smelling the pleasant scent of tea leaves being boiled, which came from a small pot over the room's fireplace. She then cast a glance over the room, finding it actually well-arranged, yet slightly disorderly from the piles of books and scrolls stacked in some corners. On the bed lay a blade detached from its hilt; beside it were the hilt, sheath, and cleaning kit.

"I'm sorry for the mess," Yvikka said from behind her, "The recent events urge me to search for more information, hence these… piles of papers."

"It's all right. My room's no far different right now."

That got a chuckle from the dark haired, for she—once had been Clair's aide—knew that Clair was a very organized person. The commander's room in Castle Aquaria seemed to be always in order, and Yvikka honestly couldn't imagine it to ever look like the room they were in now.

"I can't imagine," Yvikka worded the thought with a smile, which was met with Clair's suppressed laugh. The dark-haired soldier then went over the room, pulled another chair close to the one and only table in the room, and gestured.

"Please sit down here. The tea will be ready soon, and… oh, I'll need to take care of that as well."

As she spoke, Yvikka hurriedly came to the bed where her sword was. Clair watched as the woman swiftly reassembled the _katana_ with such skill and precision as if she was born with it, sheathed it, and finally put it in a corner along with her other gear. The sight somehow reminded Clair of Nel, who also has a habit of checking her equipment—especially her blades—on a daily basis.

"Do you always check your sword everyday?" Clair asked out of curiosity.

"Yes, especially after a tough battle," the other woman answered, "You don't know when you'll need to draw it out the sheath, but if you do, you'll always want to find it in a good condition."

"You're just like Nel."

"Do I?"

"Truly. For the similar reason, she is also meticulous about her gear. By the way, do you also have something, like, a dagger or the sort hidden under your pillow?"

"Kind of, but not under the pillow."

"Then, where?"

"I… keep it inside the clothes I'm wearing for sleep."

Pale brown eyes widened in surprise at the nonchalant answer.

"It's true," Yvikka affirmed, smiling, "And don't ask how I do it."

Clair giggled at the last comment, and Yvikka couldn't help but join the silver haired woman in the laughter. A particular scent then got to Yvikka, stopping her of her laughing fit.

"It seems the tea's ready," the dark-haired woman said. She then went over and picked the fuming pot from the fireplace, and poured the tea inside it into two cups she'd prepared before on the table. Without adding anything, not even sugar, Yvikka served the tea to Clair.

"Here, Clair," Yvikka said, moving the cup closer to Clair.

"Thank you, Yvikka," answered Clair.

"I'm not boiling the usual leaves, so I don't add anything to your tea; in case you prefer to have it another way once you taste it. It's my personal favorite leaves, by the way, and I like it plain."

"I know. It smells different from the one you usually made."

"Of course, you can still have it your way. I have prepared sugar and milk here."

Clair let out a smile at her friend before her before bringing the tea to her lips and took a sip.

"So, how do you like it?" Yvikka asked.

The silver haired woman brought the cup down, revealing the broad, sincere smile of content before answering.

"It's… lovely… !"

"Glad you like it," Yvikka said lowly, and sipped her tea.

Yvikka then put down her cup. Her eyes looked down to the dark reddish-brown-colored tea on it, deep in thought. The emotion she'd long contained within was about to erupt again, urging her to let it all go at once. She looked up, finding Clair seemingly still enjoying the tea. Unwilling to disturb the woman, she stayed in silence, waiting for Clair to be ready. The brown eyes of the runologist soon found her, and Clair knew that Yvikka was about to talk her problems.

"So…" Clair lifted her voice softly, putting her cup down, "What is it that you wish to talk me about?"

Yvikka sighed deeply at Clair's cue of her readiness. Her mind worked to find the first word to begin with, wanting to find the right word that can touch the heart of the problem right away, but unable to manage it. Instead, very much unlike herself, she took a roundabout.

"Firstly… I… want to apologize for making you worry…" The dark-haired woman managed lowly, "I realize that I have a lot to explain… but… there's just too much of them… and I frankly don't know… where to begin with…"

As the words were spoken, Clair could see trouble so obvious in Yvikka's face, and she knew that she was facing the different side of her friend; the other side which she'd never seen before. Instead of the calm and confident, independent and outspoken soldier whom Clair had known to be one of her best soldiers, Clair was now facing a broken, guilt-ridden and seemingly fragile woman who is badly in need of support. Clair knew she had to help her, but she had no idea how. She had one point of interest, which she'd long to ask Yvikka about, and she knew that this may have something to do with whatever demon that is disturbing her, but she doubt if it would be wise to ask her now…

_But she already said that she wants to explain everything, and 'this'… must be one of them. Yvikka is never one to back down on her words._

Eventually, putting her faith on the shadow of Yvikka's former self, Clair lifted her voice up.

"What if… you begin by telling me about the rune spell you used to kill those Vile Wind Fiends? Because… I think, it seems to have affected you very much…"

…

"… Yes…" Yvikka answered after a moment of silence, "… it is, indeed a good point to begin with…"

Yvikka then took a sip of her slowly cooling tea, and then one deep breath before starting her story.

"That spell… is the result of generations of research conducted by my family. The rune used for the invocation is called 'Manipulation Rune'."

"… 'Manipulation Rune'?" Clair asked in slight confusion, for, to the best of her knowledge, runes created by Aquaria runologists usually named after a natural phenomenon, very much unlike this one.

"It is named so because it influences the runological flow within the body of a being, rendering its caster capable of manipulating the said being's runological force, very much unlike all runes that we know now, which only manipulates the so-called 'free-flowing force', which is the runological force that flows freely in the universe." Yvikka answered her commander, "I, for one, cast this spell onto the Vile Wind Fiend, and used its own power to destroy it from inside."

The explanation truly stunned Clair. For her whole life as a runologist, never had she heard about such a rune, not even a mention about it even in the most fiercely guarded teachings of runology.

_A rune capable of directly influencing the runological flow…and even controlling the force itself within a being…_

_By the name of Apris…how in the world…?_

"How… how can that be?" Clair questioned, almost in a yell, "How can 'it' be applied to living beings? I know of a theory mentioning that it can be done to 'dead' objects… but… a living being's runological flow and signature is unique from one another, making it nearly impossible to even theorize such a rune that will work on _any_ being!"

Yvikka lifted a slight smile at the face of Clair's bewildered look, and answered.

"A whole week of lecture won't be enough to explain that in detail, but there's a simple explanation… Clair, do you remember the adage of runology? That everything…"

"… Is comprised of runology…" Clair finished.

"Exactly," said Yvikka, "No matter how different all beings are, both alive and dead, there _must_ be a similarity within them which allows them to exist. For instance, people breathe, and so do fishes, lizardmen, and Acacia trees. A steel blade doesn't breathe, but we can see it and touch it like many other beings. Considering that they are all comprised of runology, then the one similarity among them must be written in their signature, and that's where… this 'Manipulation Rune' finds its way…"

Clair sighed deeply, leaning her back to the chair. Her eyes reflected the light of intense awe and curiosity. Aside that the explanation truly fits her sense and knowledge, she was awed at how Yvikka, a soldier, displays her knowledge about runology to an extent which is comparable to that of an expert runologist. It made her even more curious because it left even more questions to be answered; however, she also realized that it is unwise to rush her friend to it. She would have to wait until Yvikka speaks the answer for herself.

"Invoking this rune is not as convenient as any other runes, however," Yvikka cut in Clair's moment of amazement, "In order to actually invoke the rune, both the caster and the target will have to be inscribed with the rune. Ideally, the rune should be inscribed directly on the target's body for the best effect; but in emergency or in a combat, such process is too time-consuming to be effective. Therefore, a 'marking' method is used for quicker inscribing. I believe that you're familiar with 'marking', aren't you, Clair?"

"… Yes, I know about that. It is a practice of inscribing a readily inscribed rune symbol on a runic paper by means of 'stamping' it on the target's body. I'd figured that you did 'marking' the first time I saw you casting the spell, but… you didn't seem to use any runic paper…"

"It's because… the symbol is already here…"

As she spoke, the dark-haired soldier undressed the gauntlet and the leather glove covering her right arm, revealing a scar-riddled arm, some of them were quite fresh, and showed her palm to Clair. At first, there was nothing out of ordinary there, but when Clair sensed a slight rise of power from her friend, an intricate symbol gradually showed itself, glowing in a brilliant blue light. The sight only remained for a short while until Yvikka suddenly closed her palm and withdrew her hand from Clair.

"It is inscribed… within my flesh…" Yvikka muttered lowly, slightly painfully, "… It is… a part of me…"

Once again, Clair was taken aback in the face of the truth about the woman before her. She had known that the practice of inscribing a rune within someone's flesh is still only a theory among Aquaria runologists. However now, she saw the theory had become a reality right in front of her.

"A runic paper will not be able to contain the intense level of runological force which will flow through it," Yvikka continued, completely unheeding Clair's astonished look, "Therefore, inscribing it within the caster's body, which is supposedly more capable of withstanding the flow, is the only way for the rune to be available for marking. This, however, is where the greater risk lies."

Yvikka paused, apparently giving Clair some time to digest her explanation in the knowing that most of it was new, uncommon or even unheard of, even for an expert runologist like the Shield Legion commander. When the fair woman seemed to understand the information, she continued…

"Because of the nature of the rune… 'marking' will open a channel for the runological force to flow through from the target's body to the caster's body. A careless marking of this rune on a body of a higher-level runologist, or any being or existence that is runologically superior than the caster will likely cause the force to flow through at a rapid pace. If no control is exercised, the caster's body will soon be overwhelmed by the force from the target, and if the caster's body has reached its limit…"

"… The caster will… die…" Clair continued.

"Yes," Yvikka confirmed, "… And most likely to be in the most horrible way one can imagine…"

The silver haired woman fell speechless at the mention of the risk which her friend would face every time she cast the spell. When she realized that, she could feel guilt slowly roll in to her.

_She has risked both life and spirit to save me on that day…_

_And that's because I'm not strong enough to fend for myself against that fiend…_

"Those scars… are they… resulted from the aftereffect of the spell?" Clair asked again.

"They are…" The soldier answered.

Clair fell silent once again at the answer. Her mind tracked back to the night when she found Yvikka bleeding heavily. The arm was practically drenched with blood, and it came to her that the bleeding came from those many scars she saw now.

_The wounds must be deep and quite painful that they bled that much…_

"I was careless," Yvikka said in a sudden, breaking Clair's chain of thought. She then reached for her leather glove, and put it on again, and continued.

"Had I properly dispelled the seal… this shouldn't happen…"

"The seal? You mean… you sealed this rune before?"

"Yes, to keep it from becoming obvious. Now that the seal has been broken rather improperly, the runological flow within my body becomes unstable at the moment, and that's what caused these wounds. If a healer sees me in this condition, he or she will surely judge me as 'very ill', and I'll be sent for a special treatment by runologists. Should that happen, they will surely find this out… and I don't dare to imagine what they're going to do with me… That's why… I refuse to see any doctor or healer… But do not worry. This condition is only temporary."

A piece of the puzzle had finally fallen into place. Clair could now see and understand why Yvikka never wants to see any doctor or healer ever since she cast the Manipulation Rune. If the unique rune and its inscribing method within her were found out, it was very likely that she would be subjected to research; and with that, a possible inhuman treatment.

_I can see if she has secrets, but I never thought that it would be like this…_

_Yvikka must have put a great faith on me… even more than I've thought she has that she dares to tell me about this… I wonder what the cause is. It is her life that she's putting on my hands._

_But more importantly…_

"Apris… Yvikka… why do you… how could you learn all that, knowing the consequences?"

The dark-haired soldier flinched at the question. Answering that would mean a step closer to the heart of the matter. Every time she tried to remember anything beyond this point, some of herself would scream in protest and denial, and at times, hurt her, unwilling to let the memory to materialize completely. However now, she was not alone. She was with Clair, the one person she trusted and esteemed most, a person who'd been her anchor ever since she knew her, a resolute woman whom she knew would be willing to lend an ear without judging.

A caring woman whom she never wants to see worrying…

_I have promised her this, and I owe her this…_

_I have to tell her everything so that she wouldn't worry anymore…_

With that in mind, she slowly opened her soft lips. And from there, came another story.

"Clair… during your time of studying runology in the castle, have you ever heard the name of Riege san Yrsenlaf?"

It was Clair's turn to flinch in surprise. It was the name of one of the most renowned of runologists throughout Aquaria's history, and its pedigree was counted along with the many great names of Aquaria's servants, just like her Lasbard and Nel's Zelpher. Not only that, she also knew that Yrsenlaf lineage had been devoting themselves in runological research from the many related literatures bearing the name.

_Riege san Yrsenlaf… a runologist known for his part in the forging of one of the royal treasures, the Blade of Ryusen, as well as the last of the Yrsenlafs ever recorded in history…_

_And Yvikka… her name is 'Yrsenlaf' as well, but…_

_I've heard stories about castle officials mistook her as the heir of the family, but when the test result didn't turn out as they expected, they disregarded the possibility, and considered her as 'another' Yrsenlaf._

… _and it is also written that she herself had denied any relation with the family…_

_On the other hand, however… with the knowledge she has shown me, considering that she is truly the heir of the Yrsenlafs is quite plausible._

"Yvikka, could you be…"

"I know I have denied this many times," Yvikka cut in Clair's response, "But… yes, I am the descendant of Riege san Yrsenlaf. He… is my great-grandfather."

The clear admission made clear another piece of the puzzle. Though the larger part is still unclear, it was now possible for Clair to figure out some of the problem.

"I know that Riege san Yrsenlaf resigned from the kingdom's service after an accident in the research on Transcendent Runology led by him during the rule of Aquaria XXIV. The name was never heard of again… until now. Is that the reason you deny your identity?" Clair lifted up a question.

"Not exactly," was the answer, "But just so you know, Clair, that that research… is the origin of what that now you know as this 'Manipulation Rune'. At that time, the research failed, and resulted in a grieving loss of the kingdom's best researchers. Even after my great-grandfather resigned, he continued the research on his own. The research was carried out along two generations, and then I, as the last generation, bore the final result of that…"

Yvikka took another pause, attempting to rearrange her mind and brace her heart for the next words. She had successfully taken one daring step closer, and now, she was about to take another one.

"I was raised in such a family, surrounded by runological experiments… Maybe that's why I had a great interest in the field of runology back then," the woman continued, "I drew my first rune when I was four, but not until I was five that I managed to actually cast a spell. I went to school like any other girl, but when I got home, I'd go with father to the lab… drawing runes, experimenting, casting spells… anything you can expect from a rune scholar to do. Mother only came home once every half a year… because she was a soldier…"

The dark haired woman stopped again. She could feel tears forming in her eyes at the memory of her mother. Her mother might seldom to be at home, but if she came home, she always made sure that her daughter feels her love. Even though they were far apart, Yvikka could always feel close to her mother, from the warm, loving words of her letters. Yvikka indulged herself in the pleasant memory for some time before finally refocused.

"When I was eight, mother fell in a border skirmish with the Glyphian… one skirmish that eventually accumulated into the last war… Father single-parenting me afterward, and things went well again. Since then, he taught me even more about runology and runes… and among them… this. My interest was high as ever, and I happily accepted everything he taught me, but not until I was twelve… something… happened…"

_Just a little more…_Yvikka said to herself.

"It was all started on a chilly day of early winter in Armenee," she worded the memory, "The four of us, Andressa, my best friend, who was a year younger than I, Lilia, Guiddo, and myself—I was the oldest of the four… we were playing hide-and-seek near by a forest. And then… you know, Clair… children at our age just love to play prank. When it was my turn, everybody just disappeared on me. I looked for them, all the way deep into the forest, and there… a wolf got me."

"You were attacked?" Clair asked rather rhetorically, which was met with Yvikka's approving nod.

"I wasn't really thinking back then. I just don't want to die, so I cast the first spell that flashed in my mind… and that was this Manipulation Rune. With that, I blasted the beast to pieces, leaving myself all alone. And then… I…"

Suddenly, Yvikka felt as if her mouth locked shut and her tongue tied. It was as if something inside her didn't want to hear the painful memories be put into words.

"_Stop it! Don't you continue your story!"_ She heard herself yelled inside her.

"_You can't! You have to go on! You owe her explanation!"_ Sounded another voice in a more resolute tone, her commander's tone.

"_What do you think Lady Clair will think about you if you tell her that? Murder!"_

"_Clair will NEVER think about you that way!"_

"_How can you think like that? You don't even really know her!"_

The onslaught of emotions escalated, and Yvikka was still stuck speechless.

Clair saw Yvikka clenched her fist, and as she looked into the troubled dark eyes, she knew that her friend was apparently struggling to get something out. As much as Clair wanted Yvikka to say that out, she realized that she'd better not blatantly impose her to do just that. At this point, any more pressure was likely to break the soldier apart, and Clair didn't want to see that happen. The decision would have to come from Yvikka herself.

And so, she moved her one hand on to the soldier's right hand, grasping it tightly in an unspoken support of whatever decision she'd make.

The wavering woman felt a soft hand touched hers. She looked down at the pale hand holding her tanned hand, and traced it up, finding Clair's soothing pale brown eyes directed at her.

"… Clair…"

The silver haired woman didn't say anything in response, but a nod from her, along with her compassionate gaze and the small smile she lifted were answers enough for Yvikka. They were like her reassurance that Clair's support would always be there, no matter what, at least for now.

_This is not yet there, so I can't stop now._

_Clair… please hold me until then…_

Eventually, with a visible bracing of her shoulders, she steeled herself, and continued.

"… I should've been calmer…" Yvikka muttered, "… Soon after I killed the wolf, Father came and got me, but I… I didn't recognize him. I mistook him as another beast… I reacted purely on my instinct, and marked him. In the end… we both struggled…"

Yvikka paused again. The deeper she dug onto the memories, the harder it was for her to talk. This was the reminiscence of her days past which she'd been running away from for a long time. She knew that she will have to face it one day, but she never know when she will be ready for that. Even now, she doubted that she is ready…

"Yvikka…" Clair called out softly, "Your father… he… didn't survive that… did he?"

The troubled woman was so pained at speaking the answer, so she just shook her head, silently agreeing Clair's sentence.

"And… you feel guilty for that?" Clair spoke again, wording her sentence as carefully as she could make it.

Once again, Yvikka just nod in answer.

"Oh, Yvikka…" Clair sighed in realization of her friend's problem, "It was an accident. It was dark there in the forest, and you couldn't see clearly, wasn't it? You were still shocked at that time, right?"

"Had he told me so…" Yvikka muttered in response. Her voice raspy from containing the stirred emotion within her, "… Had he told me himself that it was an accident… things might've been a little better… but…"

"I trust you that you're telling the truth," Clair cut in, her voice strong, "And now I'm telling you this as a person who knows the truth: It was not entirely your fault, so stop blaming the guilt on your own self!"

The dark-eyed woman lifted up a smile. She knew that Clair tries to comfort her, but her words didn't ease her in the slightest, for it was not truly the case.

"… No…" Yvikka spoke weakly, "That… is not the real problem. The real problem is what that came after…"

"What do you mean?"

Yvikka went silent once again. She was very close to remembering it completely, and she honestly needed Clair's support. She needed to be sure once again that Clair will be there for her to the end, and so she begged…

"Clair… stay with me to hear this to the end, please…? I don't know to whomever else I should put my faith onto if you turn away from me… for you're the person I trusted most…"

"I will be here for as long as you need it. After all, that's what a friend for," Clair reassured.

"Thank you."

Having her resolve renewed, Yvikka then continued her story, getting closer to it with each word she said.

She worded the memories, little by little, piece by piece, letting them to completely resurface and bring her back in time.

**(Flashback)**

Armenee, a small town located north from Aquios, evening.

Yvikka and her father had been rescued by the town guards, and were brought to the town's hospital immediately.

The girl's bodily injuries were potentially grave, but the doctors and healers were able to treat them almost naturally. The father, however, was a completely different story.

The father was still alive, but barely. The healers found that the man is severely wounded, but more in a runological sense rather than physical. The runological flow within the man's body was in a severe disorder. It was so twisted that a large portion of the man's bodily function is disrupted.

He could still see and hear, though barely; but that were pretty much all he could do. He could no longer talk intelligibly, nor could he taste. Most of his limbs were completely paralyzed, leaving only one surviving arm, which could only barely move. His whole body became so weak that the doctors afraid that he will be very susceptible to diseases—if the current disorder didn't kill him, other diseases might do just as quickly.

The hospital had resorted to calling the town's best runologist to handle the case of runological disorder, but even he was unable to do anything, much less determine what caused it. They had been thinking of asking the daughter about what had happened, but rejected it, considering her condition.

And so, they left the dark-haired girl be by her father's side.

It had been a couple of hours since then.

Young Yvikka was still lying on her bed. Her dark, sad eyes had been locked on to her father's figure lying beside her ever since the doctors put them together in the room. She stared at him, hoping that the man would turn his head and look back at her, praying to see his broad smile coming up from beneath his thick beard and moustache. She stayed in silence, because she wanted to hear even the weakest glimpse of his father's voice.

As she was deep in hope, she heard something. It was not her father's voice she'd been expecting; instead, it was the creaking sound of an opened door, and then tiny, uneven footsteps of a person. Yvikka paid no heed to the visitor, not even turning to see who was coming. When the visitor started to speak, the girl quickly recognized her from her voice.

"Hi… Ivy…"

It was Andressa's voice, obviously laden with fear, hesitation, and regret.

"… How are you? I hope you're fine…"

Yvikka didn't answer.

"… Look, Yvikka… Ivy… I'm sorry," the girl spoke again, "It was Guiddo's idea, but… I should've known better than to let them go to the forest… Truly, we don't mean this to happen… so… Ivy, would you forgive us?"

Yvikka still didn't answer.

"… Ivy… please… talk to me…" The girl begged, "We're still friends, right?"

"Go away," Yvikka eventually answered.

"… Wh-what?"

"I said go away!"

"Y-Yvikka…?"

Suddenly, the dark haired girl turned to face the pleading girl. Her expression angry, her eyes were lights of intense hatred, and her words were where she poured all the emotions out.

"**I HATE YOU!!"**

A look of fright and disbelief crept up Andressa's face at the face of the dark-haired girl's yell. Her small figure started to shiver with sadness, regret, and sobs; and tears came trickling down from her haunted sapphire blue eyes. She took one step back, away from Yvikka, and then another, and another one before finally turned and ran away in tears.

Yvikka watched the events unfold before her eyes without even turning a hair. She just looked at the door where the girl had come out of before for a time, before finally turned her attention back to her father. Her mind was so directed to him that she didn't bother reconsidering what that she'd just done to the girl, who was her best friend for years. In all honesty, she didn't hold that much grudge against Andressa or the other kids. She was very angry with them, yes, but not unwilling to forgive them. It was her disturbed heart that needs an outlet, and those painful words just came out without her control.

Not long after, the door creaked opened again, followed by another sound of approaching footsteps. A clinking sound—obviously from glassware could also be noticed as the visitor came closer to her.

Just like before, the girl didn't heed the visitor.

A soft, warm hand touched the girl's bandaged shoulder, and then, a voice of a woman, someone familiar to her, came.

"Ivy."

At first, the call went unanswered, but after several patiently repeated calls, the girl finally responded. She rolled her small form rather reluctantly to see the caller beside her bed.

"… Aunt Jiita…" She muttered weakly.

The woman smiled at the girl's response. Actually, she was not Yvikka's real aunt; they weren't even blood-related. She was Yvikka's neighbor, and the owner of a well-known drugstore in the town. Yvikka called her 'aunt' because she was the one who provides the girl with motherly care ever since the girl's mother passed away.

"It's about time you finally speak," said the woman, "I was afraid that you will never speak again. How do you feel now?"

"… It hurts…" Was the weak reply.

"Of course it is. Now, let's have something to eat first, shan't we? I bet that you're hungry for it is well past dinner time and your little tummy hasn't had anything inside since lunch."

The woman reached for a plate of food she'd put on the bedside table. She then brought it up close, and served it to the girl.

"Open your mouth, Ivy. Here it comes," said her, bringing a spoonful close to the girl's lips.

"W-wait, Aunt Jiita," Yvikka said, slightly protesting, "Is there nothing for father? He hasn't eaten dinner as well."

"Oo, don't worry about him. The doctor has taken a veery special care of your father. He won't be starving for the rest of the night. Now, eat up, girl, before the food shivers with cold," the motherly woman answered heartily.

The answer calmed the girl, and she eventually gave in to the woman's ministration. As she was eating, the woman spoke to her.

"I saw your friend Andressa running away after visiting you a short while ago. It seemed that she was crying as well… I don't know what you said to her when she came here that it makes her really sad, and I don't really want to know. I've heard the story from her and the other kids; that their prank went wrong, and I understand that you have all the right to be angry at them, but…"

Jiita paused, serving another spoon to Yvikka before continuing her words.

"… Just don't hold a grudge for too long. If they ever come to apologize, then please forgive them, okay?"

Young Yvikka went silent at the woman's words. Her mind tracked back to the moment when Andressa begged for apology, and then at the moment when she rejected her. Her best friend's defeated look came again, and only then Yvikka reconsidered her action.

"… Auntie…" The girl called out.

"Yes, m'dear?"

"I… Andressa came here to apologize… but I didn't give her that…"

"Then, what did you say to her?"

"I said… that I hate her…"

"Do you really mean that, Yvikka?"

The young girl couldn't bring herself to actually think for the answer to the last question for there were just too many things going over her head. Jiita, for her part, realized that she'd just asked a question too complicated for the girl to answer, especially in her present condition. Not wanting to make the girl feel more uncomfortable, she quickly withdrew the question with a smile, a kiss to girl's forehead, and words of comfort and advice.

"It's all right, Ivy. You don't have to answer that now. You may truly hate her now, but don't let that hatred linger for a day too long, okay? If she comes again to apologize, then you should forgive her, because if you don't, Father Apris will not forgive your sins just like you don't forgive Andressa."

"Okay, auntie."

"Good girl."

The motherly woman then continued her care to the girl, wanting to make her as comfortable as she could. Yvikka, for her part, was pleased with the attention, but she couldn't really enjoy it for the thought of her father was still nagging behind her mind. When she eventually asked it to the woman, Jiita only gave her a rare smile in answer…

---

Days went weeks, weeks went months, and months went years.

The life of Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf had changed completely since then.

For the first couple of weeks, she lived under Aunt Jiita's care, with her father still being treated in the town's hospital. But when the verdict came that her father's condition is incurable, young Yvikka, with suggestion from her guardian, decided to bring him back home again.

Aunt Jiita had thought that she has to take care of the father and daughter in addition to her own family. She honestly willed it herself, but apparently, Yvikka had another idea.

The young girl had decided to take care of her father on her own. Aside of feeling responsible for what she'd caused him; she'd also decided to try looking for a cure. She knew that she was the only one who can do it, for she was the only one who knows about the nature of the misfortune that befalls on her father. The latter, however, went untold when she spoke of her decision to her guardian.

The guardian was touched by the girl's resolve, but she was also worried about her, considering that Yvikka had decided to take up a responsibility far exceeding her age. She then tried to persuade the girl to allow her as her guardian to help her out, but Yvikka kept insisting that she should do it herself for she realized that Aunt Jiita also has her own family to feed. In the end, a deal was made: Yvikka would allow Aunt Jiita to look after her and her father only if she herself worked for the woman in return. In other words, it was like Yvikka employed Aunt Jiita to be her housekeeper, but as a payment, the girl would work for the woman.

This way of living went on for several years. No more playing prank for Yvikka, for her life was now revolving around work, her father, and her secret research. She still went to school on regular workdays, but when the school's over, she would be on Jiita's store, in holidays, she could be seen working in the woman's garden, taking care of the medicinal herbs grown there; and when night came, she'd lock herself in her father's lab. At first, all she did there was looking for notes and references related to the matter, but it then grew to small experiments. As she learned more, her research expanded, and she found herself difficult to manage the time she had at hand. Eventually, at her thirteenth age, she gave up school and devoted herself more toward work and the research. Her guardian didn't complain at all about her stop studying at school, for she knew that the life skills she learned in the society and world of work would be more than make up for what she left at school.

The people around her were generally kind toward her, but that didn't mean that her life is free from society problem. Her father's unexplainable, incurable disease made the neighborhood start to wonder, which in turn made some unpleasant gossips flying around the town. One of them being the man was cursed, or had a divine retribution befallen him. Though most people were considerate enough to not include her in the ill rumor, it nevertheless annoyed her, and made her even more motivated to quickly find the cure for her father.

And so, she continued her research…

**(End of flashback)**

Yvikka drew a deep breath after she finished her story. It was not all of it, however. The next will be much harder to remember, for it was where the memories pained her most. She stayed in silence for a while, trying to gather up the courage to go on, eventually finishing her tea, which had long from becoming cool.

"You're strong, Yvikka," Clair commented, breaking the curtain of silence, hints of awe in her voice, "Now I see why you were admitted to the Royal Service as an officer, and even directly assigned to my legion despite your young age. If I'm not mistaken, you were only eighteen when you were assigned for active duty. That's quite a commendable achievement."

"But you're only a year or two older than I am, and you are already a legion commander that time. That's even a greater accomplishment, Clair," Yvikka responded.

"Ahahah… But it's not like that," the fair lady chuckled, "It is more because of my heritage. Unlike you, and all other castle outsiders who had to go through a difficult selection process, I was admitted to the service almost effortlessly, for my family is already a member of the castle's 'inner circle'. If you have to climb your way up, my way is already forged for me, and honestly, that makes me feel uneasy because of the many expectations people put on me."

"Ah… right. Please pardon my forgetfulness."

The two commanders laughed together, warding off the gloomy air which had been hanging around them for quite a time. Even though her face was smiling, Yvikka's heart and mind were not. She was in a struggle to manage herself while going through the rest of her past life, putting the events in order before speaking them out.

"Would you like some more tea, Clair?" The dark-haired woman asked upon noticing Clair's empty cup.

"Of course," was Clair's immediate answer, "And make it the usual way this time, if you please."

Yvikka smiled at Clair's response. Doing something for her dearest commander was something which she always takes pleasure from. That made her calmer somehow, making way for her troubled mind to be slightly more orderly.

"Here you are, Clair," said Yvikka, handing over a cup of tea, "Tea, milk, and a little sugar… just like how you usually have."

"Thanks."

A pregnant pause came as the two women had their hands on their own cup of tea; their minds worked a thought of their own. For Yvikka, it was more about the rest of the story she was going to tell. For Clair, she was thinking about what that she'd learned from her friend for so far. She could now understand why Yvikka is acting strangely these past few days, as well as the many reasons that underlie it. Still, she saw some parts are still missing, and so she decided to bring them out.

"Yvikka… I can understand why you are so upset ever since that day… but, still… Why did you join the Royal Service, anyway? I mean… with all that you'd experienced, I am surprised that you actually become a royal servant. You realize the probable consequences if the castle ever finds out about you, yet you still come here. I just… don't understand why."

Yvikka lifted up a rare smile at Clair's question. She knew that her story would eventually lead to that, which is where the heart of the matter lies. Clair, for her part, saw the change in Yvikka's face her question had caused her. Her expression became much more troubled than before—and that led to a tell-tale sign for Clair that it could well be the one thing that disturbed Yvikka the most. Very much worried that Yvikka couldn't stand telling the answer, Clair then quickly withdrew her question.

"… I-I'm sorry. I asked too much… You don't have to answer if you feel don't like it. I very much understand your problem."

"No, it's okay," Yvikka answered, "I'll answer it, and after all… I have to answer it, for I don't know when I will ever have this courage to speak this out again."

"Are you sure about this?" Clair assured herself of her friend's resolve. Her hand reached out to Yvikka's, holding it.

As Yvikka nodded answer, Clair felt the hand she was holding grabbed her hand back tightly. She then tightened her clutch in a silent reassurance that she would be there to support her.

_This is it…_

_Clair… please hold on to me…_

"I thought that I had thought everything through when I decided to search for a cure for my father," Yvikka began, "Even after I realized that the rune I am bearing is never mentioned in any literature but my father's journals, I never asked myself why and for what purpose father taught me this. I should've known better…"

**(Flashback)**

'… The subject showed no resistance toward the treatment. Therefore, I shall continue on using this method to prepare the subject for inscription.'

Period.

A sixteen-year-old Yvikka threw herself against the back of her chair, drawing a tired sigh. Her father's journal, which she'd just read, didn't mention anything that could help her cause. There were so many of such journals she found in the house's lab, listed with dates, and organized according to their subjects of interest. The journals had once been a great help for her in advancing her research; yet, now that she was far more knowledgeable, they seemed to have little to offer.

After a moment of doing nothing, she then looked at her right hand—the part of her where the rune that caused the misfortune was inscribed, thinking.

_It seems that the only way to fix father's runological flow is to use this rune…_

_I can control this better now, but… I'm not sure of it. If only I can find a subject for testing…_

'_Subject'…_

_I wonder what kind of subject my father used for experimenting with this rune… It seems to be very accurate and reliable. Could it be that he experimented with human being?_

…

_Aah, that couldn't be. How come someone as gentle as him would dare to risk the life of another? It's just nonsensical! Come on, Yvikka, stop thinking ill thoughts!_

With another sigh, the teenage researcher lazily got up her chair, walked up to a large bookshelf, and returned the journals she'd read before to their respective place. Done with that, she then scanned rows by rows of journals, hoping to find one of her interest. However, fatigue didn't allow her to do a systematic search for long.

_Okay, I'll just take one more to read, and then I'll go to sleep. If it's too boring, I may well fall asleep here… But if it's too good, I may not be able to sleep at all. May Apris guide my hand… Nah!_

Thinking rather playfully, the girl took a random journal from the shelf, and then brought it to the table. This one had no title, but Yvikka had seen other similar journals, so she didn't see anything strange with it. In order to make sure that she had never read the journal before, she checked on its date.

The journal was dated back to 16 years ago.

_This journal is just as old as me. Well, it seems that I've never read this. Let's see if I can find something interesting here…_

Without much expectation, she opened the first page, and began reading. The first line she read quickly drew her attention.

'My dear wife, Muriellé, is going to have another child, which is truly a godsend, for I never expect her to ever be able to have another one after the failure with the last experiment. I will make use of this opportunity to discreetly test out the revised alteration method I've theorized in the last journal after the unfortunate fate of the last subject. I put all my faith on this soon-be-born subject, and I'll make sure that the subject will live long enough for the research to come to fruition.

For a reminder, the following will be the steps of treatment I will secretly apply to my wife during her period of pregnancy so as to prepare for the subject's birth…'

_What in Apris' name…_

_What's the meaning of this?_

_Muriellé is mother's first name, and if she were to bear a child, then it should mean me, but… 'another child'? Did father mean that mother had borne him another child before me? And this treatment…_

Intrigued by the statement, the young girl kept reading, until she came to an entry dated her birthday…

'Muriellé had borne a daughter. We named her Yvikka Yrsenlaf. Because the baby before her had died even before he or she is born, and the fact that it is unlikely that Muriellé can bear another child, her name of order would be eté, which means 'the only'. The name suits her rather well because she will be my last and my only subject. From now on, I'll refer to Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf as 'subject' in this and other related journals.

I took some quick tests upon the subject's delivery, and I'm glad to state that the subject was in a good health and ready for the next phase…'

_There's… another child before me… and this…_

… _Was it me whom father experimenting with?_

_It couldn't be…_

_This has to be a lie!_

In spite of her denial of whatever written in the journal, Yvikka could not bring herself to stop reading. When she finished with the current one, she went over and looked for the continuation of the journal. She hoped to find anything in the report which she knows doesn't suit her memory, if only to prove that it was not her who is mentioned in the journal. To her dismay, everything there was a perfect match. The only difference was that the word 'subject' is used in place of her name.

'… The subject made quite a rapid progress, and her interest in runology had a large contribution in that. Only this morning, the subject had been able to 'mark' the manipulation rune to an egg. Not only that, the subject was also capable of directly applying a basic elemental rune, namely wind rune, to the marked target, which confirmed that the subject's overall control of her runological power is potentially comparable to, or even superior than that of a Clestia-ranked runologist.

The above fact may well prove that the so-called 'talented runologist' could be engineered in some way. One way is by exercising the 'pre-birth' therapy like what I did to my late wife. However, it is still uncertain whether the said therapy is truly the factor that mostly contributes to the subject's exceptional capabilities for there are too many factors to consider…'

…

'… She never ceases to amaze me. I had come to a point where I could no longer discern whether her talent is engineered or naturally born, but a combination of the two is highly likely. When all the procedures have been completed, I am confident that her introduction to the castle will mark the grand return of the House of Yrsenlaf to the inner circle of the castle. In fact, even if I present her to Aquios as she is now, she still proves to be a revolution in the study of runology, as well as a proof of my accomplishment.

With the possibility of an open war with Airyglyph, castle researchers will definitely want to make use of the knowledge in her for warring purposes should the war breaks out. Even when used by itself, the Manipulation Rune is theoretically capable of generating an immense amount of energy by means of extracting the runological flow from the ever-present source, that is, the universe, making it ideal to be used as a weapon of some sort.

Still, I may well take a head start and begin research on it.'

Period.

The young girl froze at the revelation.

At first, she could not think of anything, and her mind blanked.

But only a moment later, a chaos suddenly erupted in her mind, thoughts battling among themselves.

One side wanted to believe that the journal is true, for everything recorded there clearly and unquestionably points in her being a research subject.

The other side denied it, unwilling to accept that she is merely a research subject and a servant of an ambition.

_Father… you…_

_Is this the reason you taught me this?_

_Is all the affection you've showed me a fake?_

_Am I truly only a research subject to you?_

_Am I… never a daughter to you?_

Unable to stand the maelstrom of conflicting emotions, she ran off to her father's room, wanting to find the answer there.

As she got to her father's room, she saw him there, lying on his bed as always. The man, whose condition had slightly improved since then, realized her presence, and looked deeply at her.

Under the man's helpless gaze, Yvikka could not immediately find the word to confront him. They looked at each other for an indefinite amount of time, before the girl finally decided to speak.

"… Father… am I…"

The dark-haired girl halted her speech, and ran into her father's side, speaking close to his ear.

"… Tell me, father… please tell me that I'm… that I'm not just a research subject…! Tell me… that all the love you've given me is real… not merely because I serve your interest…"

An unbearable sadness crept up the man's ill-stricken face, yet there was no hint of surprise, as though he had expected this to come.

"Father, please say something!" Yvikka rushed, getting somewhat impatient. Trickles of tears started to come down her cheeks.

The father, for his part, had tears on his eyes as well. He realized that his time is short, and a lie would not bring any good. He sobbed, letting his daughter to see him crying for the first time in his life, and weakly managed an answer.

"… Yvikka… please… forgive your father…"

The answer struck the daughter like an arrow to her heart. Her jet-black orbs looked at her father in a deep disbelief; the tears she'd bottled up in her now came down in streams, wetting the fair skin of her face. She then pulled away from her father; the look of disbelief she was wearing now bore hints of disgust.

She took a step back toward the door; her eyes kept locking on the man on the bed, looking at him as if he was a fiend. There was still something she wanted to say, but the sadness was so great that she couldn't say it out. Only when she got hold of the door handle, she finally managed it through.

"Father… I… I can't believe you."

With the words, Yvikka ran away from the room, out from the house, wanting only to be as far away as possible from the man that had been experimenting with her.

She ran, moving her feet as quickly as she could, and as long as she could.

Eventually, she came panting to a grassy field in the outskirts of the town. There, she looked up to the starry night, and shouted a cry of defeat loudly to the heavens.

"**YOU LIAR!!"**

**(End of flashback)**

Clair looked at the woman before him with a disbelieving look. So great was the shock that she was unable to find a word of response. Her greatest surprise lay in the fact that Yvikka was engineered by her own father to be what she is now. She knew that it is quite often that the parents strictly direct, or 'engineer' their children to be what the parents desire them, but not in such an extreme way such as experimenting with the children. She had also heard from Nel that Fayt and his two companions, Sophia and Maria, were also experimented with; designed to be a kind of weapon. As the three people were originated from another world with a far more superior technology, she never thought that such experiment with human could ever possibly exist in her world.

And it truly appalled her to see that it is indeed exist.

Yvikka, for her part, stayed in silence for she had to rearrange the scattered defenses of her heart to prepare for Clair's verdict. She had said it all, the painful truth about herself which she'd been running away for so long, something which she feared would bring about ill judgment toward her.

Now she faced it, face-to-face.

She was very fragile and vulnerable now, and she honestly needed Clair's support to win the battle.

"By the holy name of Apris…" Was Clair's only response.

"… It is hard to believe, yes…" Yvikka rasped; her face downcast, "… But that is the truth…"

Yvikka paused, giving the chance for Clair to speak. When the silver haired woman didn't seem to have anything to say, she continued her words, still unable to bring herself to look at Clair.

"I… feel truly betrayed… Betrayed because I feel that everything… all the love and attention that father had given me is not because of our bond as father and daughter. I am only… a 'subject', being kept alive only to serve his selfish desire… After all the trust I had in him…"

The fearful woman paused again, casting a fleeting glance at the other woman before her. Seeing that she is still there, she then continued…

"I looked at him differently ever since that day… I looked at him… with something like hatred and disgust, and at some point… I even felt that he deserved what befell him. I started to distrust people… even my own guardian, Aunt Jiita, and I wanted nothing more than leaving the town as far away as possible, because I felt that I don't belong there anymore. That was when… I made up the decision to apply for the Royal Service… for I thought that for someone who no longer had a place to call home like I had been… the service is the most convenient place to be. You get paid, fed, and a roof to sleep under. If I failed, I might well choose to die in the streets…"

"… And that's all the reason you join the service?" Clair asked, ensuring.

"… That's not my main reason," Yvikka answered after a moment of silence, "The truth is… I wanted to spite my father… by showing him that he is wrong… that there is no need of this wicked rune for Aquaria to win the war… that _I _can aid my country to do so _without this curse_… and that his research has no use for anything! I wanted to come home one day and say all this on his face! But… but he… left me before I have the chance to do so…!"

"By Apris… Yvikka," Clair gasped upon hearing her friend's twisted reasoning, "Do you really hate your father that much…?"

Yvikka fell silent because she was unable to actually determine the answer. Eventually, she gave up thinking, and trusted her answer to her heart.

"I… can't really say so…" Said her, "I truly hated him at that time, but… when Aunt Jiita sent me the letter saying that father had passed away… I felt so… sinful. I didn't think of spiting him anymore… I regretted that I couldn't be by his side when he left."

The dark haired woman drew another deep breath in between her speech, and went on.

"I returned home and visited his grave the first time I could get a chance to leave the officer training. When I did so, I felt as if something is missing within me… and only then I realized that, in spite of my hatred, he is, and will always be a father to me, despite whatever thing I am to him. I feel so guilty for him ever since, but I run away and hide myself under the reason of protecting this kingdom—the only reason that I was left with to continue on living. The haven of a family my fellow soldiers give me kept me feeling safe for years… But when I once again cast the spell that time… I just had no idea how much it would hurt me… It's like…"

Yvikka could not continue her words. She had a hand covering her downcast eyes, and from beneath it, tears could be seen coming down her face. Seeing that, Clair got up her chair and moved to her friend's side. She then put a hand around Yvikka's shoulders, cradling the strong soldier physique wracked with emotions, and whispered softly.

"Shh… Yvikka… It's okay, you don't have to say any more. That's enough… I understand. I understand it now…"

"It's like…" The soldier sobbed, fighting to complete her sentence like a soldier she was, and managed, "… When I cast it… I like seeing father… smiling at me… seemingly happy to see that I've finally used _it_…"

"… There's nothing wrong in that, Yvikka," Clair said gently, trying to comfort her friend, "… We faced otherworldly fiends… and you did all you could to save me. You did the right thing."

"I know, Clair… I know… but because of that… I feel guilty for him… He is right all along about this rune… yet I forsook him to his end of life… just what an ungrateful daughter I am…"

"It's not important whether he is right or you're wrong!" Clair spoke strongly, almost in a yell, "It's not important now whether your father truly love you or not! That's the past! What difference would thinking and regretting it make now?"

"C-Clair…?"

"Listen, Yvikka…" Clair said again, "I understand what it means for people to know that they're loved. Of course, I can't speak in your father's place in that matter… but… let me ask you one more thing… Despite everything and anything you've learned about yourself… are you happy with yourself now? Are you content with your present life?"

The question shook her.

Just then she realized it.

When she thought more about it, she couldn't honestly say that she's unhappy with her present self and life, despite the dark past she had. The rune she was bearing, which she had always thought as a curse, had in fact saved her life, and more importantly, Clair's life—the one person she hold dear.

And she was thankful for that.

"Answer me, Yvikka!" Clair strong voice echoed again, at which the soldier looked up to.

"I… I am… content… Clair…"

"Do you ever regret using the rune your father had given you that day? The day you saved both of our lives?" Clair asked again.

"… I… don't regret it… I never regret it…"

Clair's stern features softened at her friend's answers. She made a smile, and looked at Yvikka as compassionately as she could make it, for she knew that the troubled woman needs it.

"You see…? There's nothing wrong in that, is it? You're content with you are now… that's what's important, and you might have your father to thank for that. Just think about it… had your father treated you differently, you won't be what you are now, and there's no guarantee that you'll be happier than you are now. Think, Yvikka… would you prefer to keep dwelling in that hurtful, unchangeable past of yours and live forever under the shadow of your father, or get yourself over it, and continue on with life… this life you're content with?"

_Had I not had this rune… _

_I would've died long ago…_

_Even if I didn't die… I might not walk on this path I have walked until now…_

_I won't be joining the army… I won't meet the many friends I have now, and I won't even meet you…_

… _Clair…_

Memories flashed again before her. She remembered her friends in the squad she was leading during her officer training, the haven her company had given her, which had kept her safe from the dark memories, and then the first time she met the silver haired woman in a battleground.

Reminiscence kept on coming, which made her realizes that the significance of the dark moments of truth she'd long running away from keeps on diminishing as she forged her way forward to the present, until it finally has little to no significance at all.

"Clair… I…" The dark-haired woman muttered lowly. She then looked up to face her dearest superior, showing a tear-streaked face to her.

"… I… I honestly… want nothing more… than to be able to continue on life like this… but… but I just… don't know how. I just can't seem to… get over my past… I just can't forget it…"

"There's no need forget," Clair said gently, "You just have to accept the past. If you forget it, it will throw you back if it resurfaces. But if you accept, you can always face it anytime, anywhere without wavering."

"Accept the past…"

"You can start by forgiving your father, and more importantly… yourself. There's no end of blaming your own self, and that will only bring about your own downfall. Mistake is a burden, but all it takes to ease it, is an apology. Just try it."

Once again, Yvikka couldn't help but recognize the wisdom in her superior's words. Words from the past echoed again, the last words of her father's.

"… _Yvikka… please… forgive your father…"_

_Father…_

_No, you don't have to apologize. I'm the one who should apologize now…_

_Father… please forgive me…_

"… I don't know if I can forgive myself, Clair," Yvikka finally managed, "… But I'll try…"

Upon answering, Yvikka suddenly found herself being wrapped in a strong embrace. It was a warming, caring embrace from Clair. It somehow soothed the lingering pain her remembrance had caused her, making her feels perfectly safe.

"I'll see you to that, Yvikka…" Clair whispered, "… for I can't stand seeing a friend got lost…"

Fresh tears burned their way out of Yvikka's eyes. This time, they were not the tears of pain, but rather, tears of joy and relief at the face of Clair's earnestness. She returned the embrace, feeling immensely thankful for her.

"… Clair…" She sobbed, "… Thank you… thank you very much…"

Clair didn't answer. She just lifted a small smile of relief, knowing that Yvikka seemed to have gotten over most of her burden, and tightened her embrace. She kept on holding on to her friend, and pulled away only when the other woman was ready.

"So… do you feel better now?" Clair asked when she finally come face to face with Yvikka.

".. I'm better now. Thank you, Clair," Yvikka answered.

"Glad I can help…" Clair sighed in relief.

_Because I, too, am responsible for this._ Clair continued in her heart.

_Had I been strong enough to fend for myself that time… but, yeah… I'm just glad that everything turned out for the better._

"Clair…" Yvikka called lowly, breaking Clair's train of thought, "… Why…?"

"Why what?"

"Why… don't you despise me? I mean… I am engineered, Clair. I'm a product of an experiment… I am… 'different'…"

"You're silly," Clair chuckled and poked Yvikka's one cheek rather playfully, "I don't give a damn about that. Everyone's different. Everyone's born with their own gifts… As for you, that's your gifts. If you're troubled about where your gifts come from, just consider it that Father Apris had taken an unusual way to give you that—the fact that you can live with that proves that you are to live with that. Still, not everyone sees you this way, so you'd better stay silent about that."

Yvikka relieved at Clair's answer. However then, it made a question crept up her mind. Clair was a soldier, but seeing her considerate and gentle demeanor, nobody would think that she is a soldier.

"… Say, Clair… why did you join the army?" Yvikka worded her question, "I mean… I think you're too kind for this harsh world of a soldier… Not that I think you're weak… but I just cannot imagine you doing the soldier's job… you know, killing…"

"My reason? Well… I originally didn't intend to join as a soldier. I had wished to be a scholar… like Elena Frahm, but…"

The silver haired beauty cast a look at her companion, apparently considering about something. She made a smile when she seemed to have come to a decision, and continued.

"Yvikka… you have entrusted me with your life, and in return, I'd like to share you something which I have been keeping only to myself."

The statement struck Yvikka speechless. She honestly never expected this from Clair. Her respect for the woman got the best of her, so she objected.

"…Clair, if it's a secret, then you don't have to—"

"It's all right, Yvikka," Clair cut in the objection, "We're friends, right? Why can't we share some little secrets among ourselves?"

The dark haired woman couldn't think of a rebuttal at the face of Clair's answer. Eventually, she gave up thinking and let Clair do what she wishes.

"The reason for me to join the army… is to follow her," Clair began her story.

"Her?"

"Yes… her, Nel Zelpher. I think you already know that both of us have been friends ever since we're little."

"Yes. I know of it."

"When we both signed up for the army… it was only a little while after Nel's father fell in battle. I never know what her motivation was, but she was deep in depression, and I was afraid that she'd fall into something like revenge… so I followed her so as to watch over her… I frankly don't want to see her do things as horrible as that. And then… after all the time we've spent together… I slowly realize… that my concern for her is not just friendly concern… but something… more…"

Clair averted her gaze from Yvikka in something like a shy gesture. A faint hint of red was visible on her cheeks.

"I think… I'm in love with her… and that's why… I stay on here. But then… I don't think that this is a bad place to be anyway…"

Clair still said something, but that went unheard for Yvikka. A shiver of cold came down the other's heart for she, too, loved Clair. Although Yvikka had guessed it, it nevertheless pained her to actually hear from Clair herself that her heart belongs to another. Still, she persevered, for she knew that she'd promised Clair.

"Yvikka, is something wrong?" Clair asked upon seeing her friend seemingly in a daze.

"N-nothing," was Yvikka's prompt answer.

"You surprised?" Clair asked again with a smile. The blush on her face was getting more apparent by now.

"Not really…" Said Yvikka, "I can see it."

"Really? How do you know?" Clair asked out of embarrassment.

"From the moment you fell ill…"

The silver haired beauty laughed rather clumsily at her friend's answer. She then tried to divert her mind to something else, so as to prevent the blush on her face, which she was aware of, from getting even more apparent. Yvikka, however, had one thing to make sure…

"Clair… if you can one day get together with Lady Nel… will you be happy?"

It was Clair's turn to get struck to silence. There was no need for her to voice the answer, for the bright-red face the silver haired woman was wearing speaks the answer for herself. Yvikka saw this, and sighed out relief in the knowing that her promise won't go to waste.

_I'll see you to that as well, Clair…_

"Wh-why do you ask… all of a sudden?" Clair blurted out, having apparently managed to get a better hold of herself.

"Nothing… It's just… if you're happy, then I'll be happy for both of you as well," Yvikka replied calmly.

Clair beamed a calm smile at her friend's answer. She then drifted her gaze, looking at anything but at her friend, and answered.

"… I honestly hope for that day to come… but, I don't know if it will ever come. For now, I'd just wait for her to come home here… If I can see her back home safe, I'll be content."

"She will come home. I believe it," said Yvikka.

"Thank you, Yvikka…"

A moment of peace came on the two women. Clair, for her part, saw that her friend was obviously tired. All the emotions that she'd let go before had drained her down both body and soul, and Clair knew that she needs rest. Still, however, she had one more thing to confirm.

"So, Yvikka…" Clair lifted up voice, "… What are you going to do now?"

Yvikka drew a deep breath at Clair's question. She then got up her chair, opened the window of her room, and looked outside, deep in thought. It was not that she doesn't know the answer; she just needed to think it through once more. She had made a hasty decision once, and that had led her to knowing a painful truth. She was thinking about it now to ensure that she is ready to face all the consequences.

"I… am going to continue on protecting Aquaria, and everyone and everything that is dear to me. And for now… I will do all I can, with everything I have, to fight off these Vile Wind Fiends… and anything else that threaten to harm the people. And…"

"And…?"

Yvikka turned to look at her dear superior, smiling solemnly at her.

"… And when the fighting's over… I will continue on the research on this rune I'm bearing. I will try to find another, better use for this other than bringing forth raw power and destruction."

"Yvikka…" Clair muttered, standing up to meet her friend, reaching out for her hands, holding them tightly.

"Are you sure about that?"

"I'm sure of it, Clair…"

The silver haired woman hugged her friend out of awe. Only several moments before, she was a frail woman broken down by her guilt and past. But now, she stood strong, and was even able to face again the one thing that had almost driven her to her downfall.

"I know I can't expect anything less from you," Clair said happily close to her ears, "I'm proud to ever have a soldier like you, and I'm sure that you'll live up to the Yrsenlaf lineage."

"Clair…" Yvikka muttered, "… Thank you…"

When Clair pulled away from the embrace, Yvikka saw her smiling broadly at her, her lips voiced out another question.

"Are you sure that you can do it by yourself?"

"Un… That is… well, that, in and of itself, will be a difficult research, but I'll manage it somehow."

"I think… it's better for you to speak to the queen personally about this. I'm sure she'll be glad to hear this from you, and you'll get more help that way," Clair suggested.

The suggestion shook the dark-haired woman by surprise. Never had the imagination of her speaking personally to her queen about this matter crossed her mind. It was difficult for someone such as her to ever get the chance to meet the queen personally, and if she could ever have the chance, telling this to the queen would equal admitting a lie, for she had lied about her true identity upon her admission to the Royal Service and she knew well the consequences that would befall on her should the queen finds out.

"Telling this to Her Majesty?! But, Clair… I…"

"Don't worry. I'll back you up," Clair assured in the knowing of her friend's apprehension, "Her Majesty trusts me. I'm her Crimson Blade, remember?"

"But… wouldn't that put you at risk…?"

"Her Majesty wouldn't do such, trust me. Our present queen is a very considerate person, and I believe that she will not abuse you for anything. Aside of that, it is better for you to tell her yourself than to be found out, don't you think?"

Once again, Yvikka felt that Clair's words are right.

_I have put my faith on her for this far… and never once she disappoints me…_

_Why can't I trust her on this?_

…

"Very well, Clair…" Yvikka finally answered, "I'll tell Her Majesty this…"

"And I shall accompany you there," Clair said heartily, "So don't you go off there without me, all right?"

"… Yeah…"

Clair sighed relief upon hearing her friend's answer. She saw the hints of fatigue were getting more evident in Yvikka's features, and she then decided to let her rest for the day.

"Well, then… I think you should take a rest for now. Take some sleep, Yvikka. You need it," said Clair.

"But… I haven't finished my report…"

The response got a laugh from the silver haired commander. It was one of Yvikka's typical duty-first answers which she had long accustomed to hearing. She was glad for that because she could see Yvikka's former self behind it. The self of a devoted, strong-willed, independent soldier she'd taken pride in commanding.

"Forget about that, soldier," the superior officer said with a smile, "Go and get some sleep. That's an order."

Yvikka smiled sourly at the answer, but she admitted that she is too tired to actually do anything else.

"Understood, commander…" The subordinate answered, "… And thank you… Clair…"

Clair lifted another contented smile at her friend. After she made sure of herself that Yvikka would truly take a rest of the day, she left her, but not without saying good night to her. Just as she'd gotten out of the room and closed the door, she realized that she'd forgotten something to ask…

_The name of her childhood friend… Andressa…_

_I think I've heard of that name before… but not in the military…_

…

In the end, Clair gave up the attempt of remembering, and returned to her own quarter with hopes to see Yvikka better tomorrow.

---

Meanwhile, that night in Castle Aquios, a word of a particular event had just arrived.

Aquaria's present Holy Mother, Aquaria XXVII could be seen sitting on her throne. Beside her was Laselle, her Magistrate, and before her knelt the messenger, a golden-haired young woman with azure eyes which suits the color of her hair well, wearing a priestess robe with distinctive markings that differs her from the castle's priestesses.

"So… the Vile Wind Fiends have desecrated the Kaddan Shrine…" The ruler muttered lowly, her features troubled.

"That is true, my queen," the messenger ensured the news, "And apparently… they are somehow attracted to the Apris Orb. Maybe it's because of the orb's strong runological presence. I don't know what they're going to do with the orb, but we guardians do all we have to do. When I left… they have breached the entrance chamber. I don't know for how long the shrine's traps and guardians can hold them off… Please, Your Majesty… We need your wisdom…!"

Aquaria XXVII bowed her head, obviously deep in thought. After a time which felt like eternity for everyone in the room but herself, the queen finally voiced a decision.

"Laselle."

"I, Your Majesty."

"Send a letter of summon to Lady Clair and Lady Yvikka in Arias with all haste. Also, prepare the Shield Legion stationed here, and the Chain Legion in Peterny to mobilize to the shrine."

"At once, Your Majesty."

As her magistrate left, the queen then turned her attention back to the messenger before her, only to find her stunned.

"Lady Andressa," the Aquarian ruler called.

Andressa, the messenger, let out a sharp breath intake as her queen's call snapped her out of her reverie. She then quickly resumed her attention, and apologized.

"I-I, my queen. I apologize for my unawareness."

"The journey must've made you tired," said the ruler, "You might well take a rest for now, but I want you to know beforehand that you are to prepare a detailed briefing for Lady Clair and Lady Yvikka."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

"Very well. You're dismissed."

Upon the dismissal, the messenger saluted her ruler, and immediately left the audience chamber. She walked her way to the room reserved for her rather uneasily, for so many thoughts went over her mind.

_Yvikka… could it be you?_


	14. Shattered Bonds

Disclaimers # 1: I don't own Star Ocean. It is the rightful property of Square-Enix's. The OCs are still mine (and will always be mine :p), however.

Disclaimers # 2: This fanfiction is based on another fanfiction titled Two Soldiers: Fire and Ice authored by Artemis' Bow, therefore, our plots may cross at some certain points. To those who are new to this story, it is highly recommended for you to read Artemis' Two Soldiers as well if you want to get a better grasp to this story. A very special thanks to Artemis' Bow, for her approval, help and support have made this fic possible. If you like this story, half of the credit shall go to her. This story is also dedicated to her.

Author's Note: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all. I had hoped to be able to finish this chapter before the New Year, but… yeah. No excuses. I was procrastinating. As always, my sincerest thanks to all of you who've stuck around with me over the three years of writing, and a special gratitude for those who have so kind to leave reviews. I hope this latest upload can fulfill any expectation you readers may have in me.

Happy reading to you all.

**The Third Soldier: Another Heart**

**Chapter 13**

**Shattered Bonds**

"_I hate you!"_

"_Who's that?"_

"_I hate you!"_

"_Ivy… Is that you? Ivy!"_

"_I hate you!!"_

"_Ivy… Yvikka… listen to me…"_

"_I hate you!!"_

"_I'm sorry!"_

"_I hate you!!"_

"_Please…"_

"_I hate you!!"_

"_I hate you!!"_

"_I HATE YOU!!"_

---

"**WAAAAH!!"**

A golden-haired priestess jerked from of her uneasy slumber, crying rather violently at the aftermath of whatever dream she was having. It shocked her very much that she couldn't get to recognize her surroundings the instant her azure eyes were opened, and it took her quite some time to rearrange her scattered mind. Just as she managed it, she heard loud poundings from the door in her room, and then shouting from the other side.

"Your Eminence Andressa!! What happened?"

"N-nothing… it's nothing," Andressa hastily replied the inquiry.

"Are you sure you're all right?" The man on the other side, who apparently to be one of the castle guards, asked again.

"Yes, I'm all right," the priestess reassured, strengthening her voice to make her sound the answer, "I apologize for the commotion."

"Very well, if you say so," the guard replied, "Please notify us should you need anything."

"I will, thank you."

Seemingly believing the priestess' answer, the guard then walked away. Only when peace finally came Andressa fully realized herself and her surroundings.

She was in Aquios Castle, to deliver the news on the raid on Kaddan Shrine by the Vile Wind Fiends. The queen had accepted her; the news had been delivered, and she was ordered to take a rest while waiting for the legion commanders to assemble in the castle.

… _And then, I fell asleep…_

Sighing, the priestess looked down at the table where she'd fallen asleep onto before. There she found a scroll, its empty sheet partly spread over the table, and a feather pen, with ink drying on its tip. Apparently, she was about to write something right before she fell to sleep.

… _What am I going to do before…?_

_Oh, right… I'm supposed to make a detailed report on the shrine's last situation for the legion commanders when they come here…_

… _They'd be… Clair… Clair Lasbard of the Shield Legion, and then the Chain Legion commander…_

… _Yvikka…_

_Yvikka… eté Yrsenlaf…?_

Andressa drew another, deeper sigh at the recollection of one of her particular childhood friends. They were best friends back then, until a word of blunt hatred was uttered and the bonds between them were shattered.

It was ten years ago; ten years of not hearing the name, and now…

She heard the name again, but somehow doubted it.

Having been a priestess ever since her fifteenth age, she had lived a life secluded from the outside world. It was even more so when she was given the honor to be one of the Shrine Guardians—a rank entitled to the one whose responsibility is to safeguard the Apris Orb in Kaddan Shrine. Baring that, she, as well as the rest of the people within her rank, was somewhat less informed about whatever happened outside the shrine. She only knew people who sit in the major positions within the kingdom, such as the queen, the magistrate, and the commanders of the primary legions—the Secret and Shield Legion.

She had never heard of her friend since that time as well, nor had she ever known about her being the Chain Legion's commander, which incites doubt about the particular commander truly being her long-lost friend.

_But still… 'Yvikka' is not the kind of name you'd find anywhere._

The golden haired woman leaned back to the chair, deep in thought. Her mind slowly drifted into the past—the time when she last talked to her friend.

**(Flashback)**

An eleven-year old Andressa stood before the door to the room where her friend, Yvikka, was being treated, a deep guilt lingered within her heart.

She wanted to apologize.

Apologize for the prank that had gone wrong, a prank that had made her friend, and her father, injured.

… _Will she forgive me…?_

Young Andressa took one deep inhalation. In her mind went the recounts of her apologizing to Yvikka for her past mistakes. She had always had the dark-haired girl's forgiveness, but now, she wasn't sure.

_Ivy is not one to hold grudge, but still…_

"Ah, little one, what are you doing there?"

A soft voice snapped the girl out of her thought. She turned at the direction of the voice, finding a nurse standing close to her.

"I-I-I…" Andressa stuttered from her surprise, "… I-I… just want to see Ivy…"

"Ivy? Oh, you mean Yvikka, the girl that has just come in this late afternoon. Are you her friend?"

"Yea. I'm her friend. Best friend," Andressa claimed strongly.

"I see," said the friendly nurse, "Then, you can just go right in and see her. She's all right, and last I checked her not long ago, she's awake. She's kind of troubled, however, that she doesn't want to talk to people."

"Ivy… is troubled?" Andressa asked rather rhetorically, worry seeping into her voice.

"Yes, but I think it's okay for you to see her. Since you're her best friend, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you, and it's good for her."

The nurse's words went deep into her, and the girl found herself being driven into another train of thought.

_Ivy… will be happy to see a best friend?_

_I'm her best friend, and she is my best friend, too, but… _

_Will she be happy to see me?_

_What if she's mad at me?_

"So, do you want to see her or not?"

The nurse's question once again jerked the girl out of her contemplation, and by the time Andressa got to look at her, the nurse was standing right in front of the door, her hand on the handle, looking at her benevolently.

"Yes… Yes! Yes! I want to go in and see her!" Andressa answered rather hastily.

The nurse lifted a small smile at the girl's answer, and then opened the door for her.

"Then go and see her," said the nurse.

Though a little doubt was there, Andressa stepped into the room to meet her friend, but not before saying thanks to the nurse. Once inside, she saw Yvikka lying on one bed with bandages all over her body, looking at the person on the bed next to her—her father.

_Apris… Yvikka…_

_I'm so sorry…_

_Please, please forgive me…_

The girl took one slow, fretful step closer to her friend, and then another, and another. The closer she got to her, the more she felt her stomach roll and her nerves flustered from the anxiety. When she finally reached Yvikka's bedside, she couldn't bring herself to speak right up. She then settled herself on a chair nearby, trying to calm herself and manage all the mixed emotions within her.

_The last time she got mad at me… it was because I lost the book I borrowed her…_

_We didn't talk for days after that…_

_It's no fun…_

_And now… Just how many days we are going to spend not talking to each other after this?_

_A day? Two? Three? A week? A month…?_

… _Forever…?_

Andressa shuddered at the thought of whatever thing that might come to her. Yvikka was her best friend. Whenever she had trouble, it was quite often for her to run to the dark-haired girl to have her comfort. With that in mind, she knew that she couldn't honestly bear to have their friendship ends, which could mean not talking to her friend for the rest of her life. The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. Eventually, unable to stand the queasiness of uncertainty, she brought up her voice to make it sure.

"Hi… Ivy…" She called, "… How are you? I hope you're fine…"

The other girl didn't answer, and that made young Andressa felt even more uncomfortable than before. Thinking that her friend just didn't hear her voice, she then shifted her body more toward Yvikka's ears with hopes that she could hear her more clearly, and spoke again.

"… Look, Yvikka… Ivy… I'm sorry… It was Guiddo's idea, but… Truly, we don't mean this to happen… so…"

The golden-haired girl paused at her friend's indifference. Usually, when she'd said 'sorry', Yvikka would turn to her and smile, no matter how upset she'd been, and forgave her. But now, she lay still, completely apathetic to her words of apology, and Andressa started to fear that things had gone beyond forgiveness for Yvikka.

And so, she said it again, this time more directly, her voice trembled from the restrained cry.

"… Ivy, would you forgive us? Would you forgive me?"

When Yvikka didn't answer for the last time, Andressa came to the limit of her patience. More driven by emotion, she clutched her friend's hand, shook it gently, and brought her voice again, this time more begging than apologizing.

"… Ivy… please… talk to me… We're still friends, right?"

"Go away," came a response.

"Wh-what?"

"I said go away!" Yvikka restated her answer, this time in a stronger voice.

"Y-Yvikka…?" Andressa muttered, fear started to appear in her voice for the response was like hearing that her worst fear was about to be realized.

All in a sudden, the dark haired girl turned to face her. The infinitely angry, tear-streaked face and the hatred inside her jet black eyes were something she would never want to see again; and her words, were the words she didn't and never had wanted to hear again.

"**I HATE YOU!!"**

The words struck Andressa like an arrow to her heart. It was like seeing the gates of forgiveness had shut tight before her, and their friendship severed.

Her worst fear was finally realized.

The young girl flinched; her small body trembled from hearing the expression of blunt hatred, tears started to fall from her sapphire eyes. She felt emotions mixed within her, and it felt like a huge lump of dread rolled into her heart and stomach.

_Yvikka… by Apris…_

_You… you don't forgive me?_

_You hate me?_

Without her even realizing it, she took several steps back, away from Yvikka. Eventually, she ran away, bursting with tears in the knowing that they are no longer friends. She ran, still questioning her friend's hatred toward her, for she felt that it was too high of a price for her to pay.

_Why…?_

_Why do you hate me…?_

_I know I'm at fault, but I'm not the only one to blame, right?_

_Lilia was there… and Guiddo… he was the one with the idea._

_But why do you have to put it all on me?_

She kept on running, eventually heading to the town's church, hoping to find some comfort in the house of the Gods she so worshipped. When she finally reached her destination, she quickly found herself a secluded place among the rows of bench and sat, still weeping.

She didn't know how much time had passed since then, when she suddenly felt a soft, warm hand touched her small, slumped shoulder. Reluctantly, she lifted her face to look at the owner of the hand, finding a very familiar woman clad in a priestess' attire.

"M-mother…"

The priestess, who was the young girl's mother, smiled answer at her daughter and wrapped her in a warm, motherly embrace in the knowing that she was deeply troubled.

"… Mother… mother…" Andressa sobbed; her tears renewed as she snuggled herself deeper into her mother in desperation of a shelter from her guilt.

The mother didn't speak yet; just tightened her embrace and gently stroking the girl's head and back. She kept on with her silent comfort for some time before finally spoke.

"… Andressa… what happened?"

"… Ivy…" Andressa muttered weakly, "… Ivy… she…"

"What happened to her? She is all right, isn't she?"

"… She… she… didn't forgive me!!" The girl choked between sobs, and as she managed her last word out, she cried again rather openly, "She hates me! She hates me!! We're… we're no longer… friends…"

"Oh, Andressa…" said the mother. She knew just how close her daughter and the other girl was, and she could understand how having their friendship broken pained Andressa. "Just what fault have you done on your part that caused ill to her?"

"I'm not the only one there!!" Andressa cried rather hysterically, "… It was Guiddo!! The prank was Guiddo's idea! Lilia was there, too! I know I'm wrong for I'd been there with them… b-but… why… Why does she have to blame it all on me?! I have apologized to her but she… but she…"

The outpouring confession slightly shocked the priestess. She had known of the misfortune that had befallen to her daughter's best friend, but she honestly had no idea that her daughter had her share of fault in that.

"So it was your prank that caused her that? It's no wonder, then…" The mother said.

"But it wasn't only me!!" Andressa cried back.

The mother felt slight displeasure at her daughter's doing, but she knew that neither reprimand nor punishment from her is necessary. Andressa had admitted her wrong, and Yvikka had somehow done punishment for her. And also, she couldn't stand seeing the girl broken and saddened.

"My dear Andressa…" The mother said gently, and hugged her daughter again, "What did Ivy say to you?"

"She said… she said that she hates me…"

"Is that really so?" The woman uttered a teasing doubt so as to calm Andressa down, "But she might not mean it, you know…"

"No… she means it. She really hates me…" Andressa muttered, her voice was more angry than sad by now.

The mother then pulled away from the embrace, looked at her daughter right into her eyes, and spoke again.

"She said that she hates you, yes, and mother know that she is honest and, most of the time, always meant everything she said. She hates you now, because she is still upset, but maybe not anymore tomorrow, or a week later."

Andressa was speechless at the words, and that was the mother's cue that her counsel had had an impact.

"You know, m'dear… asking an apology from an angry person will not do most of the time. I know that you use to apologize to Ivy almost right away after you realize that you've made a mistake, and I also know that she will forgive you almost right away as well, but for now… let her calm down for a while. When she does, I trust that she'll forgive you when you ask for it."

…

"… That… that might be it, mother," the daughter replied after a moment of silence, "But…"

"What's the problem? Are you afraid of her? Yvikka is not one to hold a grudge, is she?" The mother said, trying to catch her daughter's concern.

"True, but…" Andressa wavered, "… I… don't know if I can face her again…"

The mother sighed. She could understand Andressa's apprehension after being rejected by her best friend, but what that might entail the fear wasn't something to be ignored. If the lingering fear wasn't worked out, her daughter might never be able to face Yvikka for the rest of her life—and it could grow worse in the long run. She also realized, however, that the courage to overcome the fear will have to come from Andressa herself.

And so, she left it up to her daughter…

"Andressa," the mother called, looking deeply into her daughter, "You understand that all wrongdoings will be punished, right?"

"Yes, mother…" Andressa said yieldingly.

"This is your punishment," said the mother, "And the only way to atone for that, is by apologizing to Yvikka and making clear everything between both of you. If Ivy is truly a good girl, I trust that nothing is beyond her forgiveness. All that is left is for you to overcome the fear and face her again. Understand?"

"Yes, mother… I understand."

At her daughter's answer, the motherly priestess then pulled the girl closer and cuddled her affectionately, whispering words of love and encouragement to soothe her battered spirit.

---

Time went by.

She was still afraid.

Afraid of facing Yvikka's possible rejection again.

Every time she intended it, her steps were always halted at the sight of the dark-haired girl. She would freeze at her place, torn between coming at her and apologize, or running away to hiding. She sometimes hoped that Yvikka would take notice of her first, but that never happened, for the other girl seemed to have found her own world to live in since she was hardly ever seen to be playing or hanging around her friends like the way she used to be. Her mother, though was as heartening as she'd always been, seemed unconcerned with that. It was as if she was leaving it all up to her—which she indeed was.

She just couldn't do it.

And without her realizing it, Andressa had been keeping it for years.

Yvikka finally left Armenee, and a short time after, she herself also left the town, as a part of her training to be a priestess, to follow in her mother's footsteps.

It was when she thought that her chance has expired, and she tried to forget it all.

But only a year later…

---

"Andressa yrm Hjalmgunnar."

Andressa, now seventeen, turned to look at her caller. It was the head priestess of Kaddan.

"Your Eminence, Is there something you need me for?"

"Not actually," answered the head priestess, "It's just… you know, that tomorrow will be your inauguration as the Shrine Guardian of Kaddan."

"That's correct."

"Nah, well… There is a kind of custom for us here that we do a confessional prior to the day of our inauguration. It is because of the fact that our life will be even more isolated once we join the rank, and that will hinder us from meeting and apologizing to people whom we had done wrong to in the past. It's not obligatory, and I'm just offering you a chance, so… Andressa, have you a burden, guilt, or anything to confess or share?"

… Meeting and apologizing to people whom we had done wrong to… 

Her mind drifted into her past couple of years, and for some reasons, stopped at the particular image of a person she had once considered a best friend.

Yvikka… I hadn't had the chance to apologize to her… I wonder how she is doing now… Is she still mad at me…? 

"Well, Andressa?"

The head priestess' words jerked the teenage priestess out of her reverie. She hastily resumed her attention to the older woman, and answered.

"Yes, Your Eminence. I have one…"

"This way, then…" The head priestess gestured, smiling at her.

Andressa followed the older priestess to a certain chamber in the shrine. Though its decoration and architecture was similar to any other chamber, this one was much simpler, smaller, and furnished only by two chairs and a small table. The two priestesses then sat on each of the chair, facing to each other and saying their customary greetings.

"So, my child… What is it that you're going to confess?" The head priestess began warmly.

"It's… a long story…" Andressa answered timidly.

"It is all right. I have time."

Andressa then went on, telling the woman before her the happening in her past that broke the bonds between her and her friend. She told her how Yvikka and her only parent were injured because of her and her friends' prank, how the dark-haired girl rejected her apology shortly after, and how and why she was hesitant to apologize for the second time. As she recounted, she slowly realized the reason why Yvikka was so mad at her, as well as the larger part of her responsibility as her best friend.

Yvikka was alone… 

_Her father was injured… and last I heard that he wasn't recovering._

_She is closer to her father than to anyone else… And that's why…_

The young priestess' heart felt even more tormented as she remembered how Yvikka changed after all that. The girl never went out and played like other children do anymore, and she quitted school not long after, which somehow isolated her from the other kids. She could still be seen around the town, doing things that are not normally done by girls at her age—attending a shop, shopping household needs, or doing someone else's garden. In short: working. This was something that she had never realized until now.

_She… was working to earn her living…_

_She had no one to console her after that… I could've been there for her, but I didn't._

_And I…_

I took part in changing her life… 

"Andressa."

"Y-yes?" Andressa stammered in slight surprise as her dark train of thought was interrupted.

"Do you realize what you've done to your friend?" The head priestess asked, looking deeply into her cerulean eyes.

Andressa bowed her head, feeling very much guilty. "Yes, I do…"

"And you haven't apologized to her?"

"No, I haven't."

The head priestess sighed, leaning her body to the back of the chair. "From your story… I think your friend… Yvikka… is a strong girl."

"Yes. She is one strong girl. I give her that."

"It might just be that you didn't get to see her around because she was working to earn her living."

"It could be that, Your Eminence."

The senior priestess chuckled. "If that's what you believe about her… then you need not worry much about her well-being. Though then… your fearfulness in this matter is something that you need working out. You have to be braver next time, Andressa. Rejection is an inevitable part in life, you know."

"I understand, Your Eminence. I'll be braver."

"You have to, for it is important for many things we are going to face in our path," said the head priestess, "And also… despite this seclusion, Father Apris could one day arrange for you to see her again. You would want to be ready for that, wouldn't you, Andressa?"

Andressa only smiled in answer to the senior priestess' words.

**(End of flashback)**

_I never thought that I'd meet her again…_

_If it really is her, then what should I do…?_

…

When she thought about it, she suddenly felt a cold wave of fear enveloped her; the old demon that had been haunting her in her childhood reappeared, bringing the image of the pain of rejection and the feel of being hated into her mind.

The feel was nauseating and distressing all at once.

_Damn it!_ Andressa screamed silently in her heart, feeling somehow defeated.

_I… I… can't…_

…

_How can I face her again…?!_

_No… I must focus… I have a mission…_

_I must accomplish my mission…_

… _To protect… the Apris Orb…_

With the might of will, the Kaddan priestess finally buried the matter deep within her in favor of focusing to her original objective of coming to the castle, and started to write her report.

There was no summons issued for her by the time she finished writing, and she took it that the legion commanders haven't arrived, and that she still had some time to relax. Very much decided to do just that, the priestess then came out of her room, taking a small walk around the first floor's corridor. When she came near to the castle entrance, she saw images of two people coming from the castle's front yard, and then, the voice of the gate guard came to her.

"Lady Clair, Lady Yvikka, Her Majesty has been expecting both of you in the audience chamber."

"Very well. We shall meet Her Majesty right away, then," sounded one of the newly arriving people.

_Yvikka!_

Andressa froze as she heard the name being spoken. Almost instinctively, she quickly retreated into a corner of the adjoining hallway where she could see the two people with less concern of being noticed right away. As the figure of the people of her interest got closer and clearer to see, she felt that her heart throbbed faster with every step they took.

The first one Andressa could recognize was a beautiful, ladylike woman with shimmering silver hair, who was undoubtedly Clair Lasbard, the Shield Legion commander. The other one beside Clair was a tad harder to recognize because of the helmet the person was wearing. But when the helmet was taken off…

Azure blue eyes widened as she got to look what was hidden behind the helmet.

Jet black shade fell, framing mature, yet familiar features from her childhood friend. The light of her deep black eyes, the strong, confident posture she was striking, the serious expression on her face as she talked to her companion beside her… all those seemed and felt too familiar to her despite years of not meeting her.

This time, there was no mistaking it.

_It really is her!_

Andressa cringed at her conclusion, and hurriedly backed away into the shadows so as not to be seen by the person who had once been her best friend.

Yvikka was walking along the corridor when she caught a sudden movement from the corner of her eyes. She turned in a flash, but found nothing of immediate suspicion around her.

"Yvikka, what's wrong?" Clair asked upon noticing her companion's alerted posture.

"I…" The soldier muttered hesitantly, "… don't know. I think I saw something… just before…"

In response to her colleague's answer, the runologist concentrated to her surroundings, but unable to find anything out of ordinary as well. Sighing, she then called the still-tense soldier.

"Yvikka… It's good to be on your edge, but to be edgy is not that good. Come, let's not waste any time. Her Majesty needs us. Besides, should your concern be realized, I trust that the guards here can handle it."

…

"… Yeah…" Yvikka sighed, eventually relaxing herself after some more moments of alert, "You're right. Maybe it's just because of me going to meet Her Majesty again… after all that…"

"Don't you worry that much about that," Clair replied with a smile, "I'm on your side, remember?"

The dark-haired woman returned the encouraging words with a smile of her own, and then continued the walk to the audience chamber where the Aquarian ruler was waiting for them.

---

"Announcing Lady Clair Lasbard of the Shield Legion, and Lady Yvikka eté yrsenlaf of the Chain Legion!"

In the lead of the attendant's announcement, the legion commanders stepped into the audience chamber. Clair, being one with the higher authority, came in first, followed by Yvikka several steps behind her. Upon reaching a certain distance from the ruler's throne, both women fell to one knee in honor of their queen.

"Clair Lasbard and Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf are here to fulfill your summon," the superior officer began, followed by a customary greeting from both her and her subordinate.

"May Apris' divine protection be with you, Your Majesty."

"May Apris' divine protection be with you as well, my faithful servants," Aquaria XXVII returned her servants' greetings.

The Aquarian queen looked closely at her two servants before her. She first observed the silver-haired woman, glad upon finding that she was far livelier than the last time she saw her, when she'd just come out of her illness weeks ago. Her gaze then shifted to the dark-haired woman slightly behind Clair. After examining her for a while, the queen then gestured at her.

"Lady Yvikka."

"I, my queen."

"Please step in closer."

Yvikka gasped as the command was spoken, impulsively bringing her head up to look at the queen, her expression perplexed. As a rule, she is not supposed to come in any closer to the throne, for her rank doesn't permit it, and that there is already an officer superior to her. Whenever there is a person of superior rank present, the ones in the inferior ranks will have to stay behind him or her, and their voice before the queen is considered less significant. By placing herself side by side with Clair, it would mean that their rank and voice are equal before the ruler. It was actually a given honor for someone to be ordered to do so by the queen, but Yvikka, in all honesty, didn't feel comfortable with it, considering all things she kept hidden within her.

It was like a premonition…

"Yvikka."

A sharp whisper cut through Yvikka's train of thought, and when she looked at its direction, she saw Clair looking at her from the corner of her eyes, gesturing her to just comply with the order and come to her side. Knowing that she had no choice, the Chain Legion commander then complied, albeit reluctantly.

"Please be not so surprised," the queen said gently upon noticing Yvikka's hesitation, "It is an honor that you've earned from your meritorious accomplishments."

"I-I'm honored… my queen…" Yvikka replied timidly.

"Well, then… Let us go straight to the matter. I trust that both of you have been informed of the violation of the Kaddan Shrine by the Vile Wind Fiends."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Clair answered, "And I believe that our purpose of being summoned here is to aid the Shrine Guardians in warding the fiends off."

"Correct," Aquaria XXVII confirmed, "Despite the fact that the shrine is forbidden for those other than the Holy Mother and the Shrine Guardians, I have to request that you lead the mission because the situation there is unfavorable, and you are the only hands that I can think of carrying out the task."

"I am honored," Clair bowed in gratefulness for her queen's recognition of her abilities.

"One of the Shrine Guardians is already in this castle. She will brief both of you about the detail of the shrine's situation. I already have her summoned here, and while we're waiting for her…"

Serene eyes of the Aquarian ruler shifted and locked on to the other figure kneeling beside the silver-haired Crimson Blade. Her lips opened up, and called a name.

"Lady Yvikka."

"I-I, my queen," Yvikka jerked answered in surprise.

"I would like to speak to you personally," the queen went on, standing up from her throne, "Please follow me."

Thoughts came storming to Yvikka's mind at the queen's invitation. Some part of her told her that her lies have been found out, and that punishment is inevitable. She, however, rejected the option of running away since she'd intended to reveal them anyway. What that she hadn't expected, was that she had to do it this soon.

_Come what come may…_

With a bracing of her shoulders, Yvikka steeled herself to face whatever thing her queen would confront her, and then stood up and followed the ruler's lead to her personal chamber. Just as she passed Clair, she heard her whispering at her.

"It'll be all right. Trust me."

"Thanks," she whispered back.

The soldier then continued her pace following her queen. Once they were inside the queen's personal chamber, the Aquarian queen told her attendant—who was always there all the time—to leave them for a moment, closed the door, and locked it. When they were finally alone, the noble woman then turned to face her servant eye to eye at an equal footing.

"Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf…" The queen began speaking, her voice strong, "I just want you to answer this one question as honestly as you could. Are you truly a descendant of Riege san Yrsenlaf, a member of the renowned House of Yrsenlaf who had once loyally served the Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria?"

Yvikka tensed at the stark question, but not really surprised for she had already expected it. With no further consideration, the soldier spoke her answer firmly.

"Indeed, my queen… I am the third descendant of Riege san Yrsenlaf."

The queen's face softened upon hearing her servant's answer, smiling broadly at her.

"Just as I thought,"

Yvikka sighed, feeling somehow relieved upon revealing her identity despite the probable punishment she might bear as the consequence of committing lies to the queen. She then braced herself once again to look at the queen's eyes, and uttered a question.

"Pardon me for my question, my queen, but… since when did you know about this?"

"Ever since the last time you appear before me."

"Apparently… I can not deceive the eyes of the Holy Mother…" Yvikka muttered, "I beg your forgiveness, my queen…"

"I trust that you have your reasons," the queen spoke again, "But you don't have to explain it now."

The noble woman smiled again as she saw Yvikka looking somewhat troubled. She then walked up to a certain cabinet, opened it, and took something out. Done with that, she then turned back at her servant, pacing up closer to her.

"Be not afraid, Yrsenlaf," said the queen, "In fact, it is kind of reassuring to know that a descendant of the Yrsenlafs will take part in this mission."

When the ruler got close to Yvikka, she then took the commander's one hand and put the object she'd taken before into her palm.

"This is the crest of your family, which your predecessor, Riege san Yrsenlaf gave back to the kingdom as a sign of his resignation. And now, as the queen, I'm giving you this as a sign of my acknowledgement of your ancestry, as well as the rights and authorities acceded to you as the true heir of the family."

"Y-your Majesty," Yvikka murmured, slightly protesting, "I-I don't deserve all this. I have committed a lie before you… I deserve more a trial instead of this…"

"Is that really important now?" Aquaria XXVII cut in, "You told me the truth about yourself, that's what's important. Besides, is this really the time for me to do away with my servants?"

Yvikka was speechless in the face of her queen's actions. She honestly never expected to be accepted by the queen, and even had her crime put aside and her heritage restored.

"The Yrsenlafs were ones of great exploits," the queen said again, "And you… I know that you can live up to your name. You had already done great deeds, and I expect more of that in your upcoming mission."

"Your Majesty…" Yvikka whispered, feeling truly thankful, "Thank you. I shall repay this by giving my utmost for the good of the kingdom."

The queen smiled before her servant's vow of devotion. She then walked up to the room's door, gesturing at the soldier to follow her.

"Let us return to the audience chamber. I trust that Lady Andressa, the Shrine Guardian, is already present there."

"A-Andressa!? Andressa… yrm Hjalmgunnar?" Yvikka blurted out of surprise, which also surprised the noble woman.

"That's right," answered the queen, "Do you know her?"

It took some time for Yvikka to actually regain her calm and answer the question. Things came and unfolded too rapidly for her mind to process thoroughly, much less come up with the proper way to deal with them.

"We were… childhood friends," the dark-haired woman finally managed a short answer.

"I see," was the queen's response, "Well, considering the secluded life she's been living, you must've never heard of her ever since. I imagine that it must be quite a joy for you to finally see her again."

_That's not quite it…_Yvikka said deep in her heart.

… _With the way we parted…_

"It is unfortunate that you two have to be reunited in this situation," the queen's voice came again.

"Y-yes… it is," the dark-haired woman answered hesitantly.

"But if the mission goes well, both of you will have some time together. She must be looking forward to that as well."

… _Is she…?_

Though the uncertainty was somewhat disturbing, Yvikka buried it deep within her for she knew well enough that now is not the time to delve into the matter. She took some time to refocus herself, and then followed the noble woman outside.

When she came back to the audience chamber, she saw another person beside Clair—a priestess with unmistakable and familiar features. Though she was a woman now, there was no mistaking her braided golden hair and her sapphire blue eyes, as well as the trace of her childhood innocence now mostly veiled with the austerity from years of life in her face.

Andressa realized Yvikka's presence, and looked up at her. After years of painful, unsettled parting, the two friends finally meet again; each of their hearts and minds filled with all but vagueness even as they looked into each other's eyes.

Yvikka hesitated at first, but she continued her pace nevertheless, to join Clair and Andressa.

"… Andressa…" The dark-haired soldier spoke first.

"… Yvikka…"

…

"It's… good to see you again…" Yvikka managed, trying to sound neutral at the very least, but feeling that she didn't do that well. For a greeting to an old friend, it sounded rather cold.

"… And so do I…" Andressa answered awkwardly, apparently having the same problem as the other woman before her.

"It is kind of unfortunate that we have to meet again under this situation," Yvikka said.

"It indeed is…"

"Well then," the queen's voice came, breaking through the wistful reunion of the two friends, "Everyone's here, and so we can begin discussing the strategy for the upcoming mission. Let us move on to the conference chamber."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The three servants saluted obediently in response to their queen's words. They then followed their ruler into the conference chamber, all in silence.

---

Conference chamber.

The five people—the legion commanders, Yvikka and Clair, Andressa, the Shrine Guardian, Magistrate Laselle, and Aquaria XXVII entered the room, immediately taking a place close to each other. After another customary greeting, the queen sat first, followed by the others, except the magistrate, who chose to stand by her side. They were the only ones there.

"So, then, Lady Andressa, could you please begin with explaining the last situation of Kaddan Shrine to Lady Clair and Lady Yvikka?" The queen began.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Andressa replied dutifully, and went on.

"As Your Majesty has informed you before, the sacred ground of Kaddan Shrine is being violated by the Vile Wind Fiends. They started to appear in the shrine's vicinity around last night, and immediately attempted to break into the shrine. We tried to put up defense, but… only in a few hours… the entrance chamber fell, and that was when I was sent here to request aid…"

The Shrine Guardian paused, feeling a pang of guilt and remorse for failing to fulfill her duty in the first place, and the horror at the imagination of the power she'd witnessed as she tried to fend off the fiends. This was obvious to the two commanders, for they'd fought against such fiends, and had known their otherworldly power and presence. Especially Yvikka, for she had known Andressa since childhood.

"… We were powerless," she continued, her tone bitter with defeat, "We've already lost many guardians in the last raid on the shrine by those… were-sharks. And now… these fiends… We don't know their purpose… but one of them keeps on saying… about being the 'Creator', and that everything that violates the law shall be exterminated…"

"By the grace of Apris!!" Laselle exclaimed in shock, "Nonsense! That can't mean…"

"… Are we up against Apris Himself…?" Aquaria XXVII worded question. Though her expression seemingly unchanged, she was deeply troubled inside.

"I don't know," said the priestess, her voice now laden with terror, "We guardians are confused ourselves… some of us were even swayed by those words, and tried to join the fiends… only to die. I, however, refuse to believe in that! No way the all-forgiving Father Apris would do such vicious doing. Spreading terror and destruction throughout the land… this is definitely not the doing of Apris!!"

The news was truly shocking and tongue-tying, but not really for Clair and Yvikka because they had known it firsthand, and that they had ensured their stand in the face of the matter ever since they first encountered the fiends. A brief moment of silence came and went only when Clair's determined voice came.

"Then, the only thing left to us, is to fight them, isn't it?"

"Lady Clair…" The queen muttered, casting her eyes at her faithful servant.

"These fiends caused only terror and indiscriminate destruction," Clair continued, "Even those who tried to reconcile with them were killed. Isn't it obvious that their purpose is destruction?"

"Could it be…?" The queen spoke lowly, catching her servant's drift, "Then, their goal in Kaddan Shrine is…"

"Most probably, to seize the Apris Orb and use it for their purpose," Clair finished.

Aquaria XXVII was struck speechless. Clair's conclusion, though likely to be based on supposition, was not baseless, and she couldn't think of any other possibility. She unnoticeably gritted her teeth in slight frustration, but not losing her composure. Somehow, it was clear to her that the only way left is to fight…

"Defending the shrine doesn't seem to be a reasonable option at this point, for we don't have that much time to prepare," the queen finally lifted up her voice.

"M-my queen…" Laselle took voice in a slight protest, "Do you intend to fight them? What if we in fact are up against the Gods?"

"We have to fight, Laselle," the noble woman cut in, "Gods or not, do you ever see anything good comes from them? Are we going to stand by idly and let those fiends do as they like, even as it comes to annihilating us and our people? Not me, Laselle."

The queen then looked at her commanders, her gaze determined, and spoke again.

"If we are going to attempt to put a stop to them, we must start with preventing the Apris Orb from falling into their hands… But first, we need to think of the best course of action. If anyone has a suggestion, let it be spoken now."

"I know a way," Yvikka finally lifted up voice.

"Speak, then."

The Chain Legion commander took one deep breath in an effort to brace herself in the knowledge of the difficult nature of her idea, as well as the probabilities that might entail before finally speaking.

"At this point, the best we can do… is either liberating the orb, or, if the worst comes to the worst, destroying the orb."

"Unacceptable!!" Laselle shouted in immediate disapproval, "Yrsenlaf! How come you have the audacity to suggest such?! Even destroying the Apris Orb… such act is a dishonor to our royal treasure! Why can't we just move the orb here?"

"We can't," Yvikka rebutted, "If the fiends are indeed after the orb, moving the orb here will only direct the danger from Kaddan to Aquios."

"But Aquios is better defended than Kaddan Shrine!" The magistrate confronted, "It is possible for us to buy more time and build more strength to—"

"My honored magistrate!" Clair cut in, backing up her fellow commander, "You have no idea of how fierce these fiends are. They are death to many! Lady Yvikka and I have lost many soldiers to them just to secure the roadways in Arias' vicinity, and I don't know how many more will be massacred should I line them up to withstand their attack. Let alone building up forces, I doubt that we can actually defend against them if they intend to attack. Besides, we also have civilians here in Aquios. We can't afford to put them in danger. However difficult it is, I agree with Yvikka's suggestion."

"Lasbard…" The edgy man griped, "… you, too…?"

"Lady Yvikka's suggestion sounds reasonable enough."

"Y-Your Majesty?!" Laselle blurted, shocked, "How—"

"By liberating the orb's power, we can well wipe the fiends out of the shrine, and if everything fails, destroying the orb can seal it from falling into the wrong hands… for good," the queen commented, seemingly ignoring the man's protest, "But how about the possible outspread damage that may result upon the releasing of the orb's power? We have seen Surferio, and I'm sure that none of us would like to see it happening again here."

"Actually… we don't have to worry about that, as long as it is done in the shrine…" Andressa took up voice in answer to the queen's concern.

All pairs of eyes in the room shifted on to the Shrine Guardian, obviously demanding explanation from her, and she took it as her cue to continue on.

"The shrine was built… not only to house the orb, but also… to contain its power. From the ancient notes I read, it is possible for the shrine's runological force to lessen the massive amount of power generated from the orb in the wake of its liberation, reducing it to the point of being harmless upon releasing it free. The true nature of the shrine is actually a system to channel the orb's power and circulate it around the shrine before finally release it to the surrounding areas. If an immense amount of energy, such as one generated from the orb's liberation, is to flow through there, it will cause a great runological strain which may well kill or destroy anyone or anything inside the shrine. That could mean the fiends… as well as any one of us."

"I see," the queen voiced understanding, and stood up her chair, "It's decided, then. We are going to either liberate or destroy the Apris Orb, and in the light of that, I, too, shall participate in the mission."

The queen's last words struck everyone into abrupt silence. No soul was unshaken by that, except Yvikka, who had expected this to happen. She knew it well enough from the start that the queen was the only one who can, and has the right to liberate, or destroy the orb at the moment. She felt a slight remorse because her suggestion was accepted, and that that made the queen to join in the possibly dangerous mission, but she knew that there was no other way.

"It is a part of my duty as the Holy Mother," Aquaria XXVII spoke, trying to calm her shocked servants, "My predecessor, the first Holy Mother, Sirvia I, had once used the orb to repel Greetonian mechateers from invading her kingdom… And now, it is my turn to take on the responsibility and do what I believe to be for the best for Aquaria."

"Y-Your… Majesty…" Laselle called his queen, his voice trembling with the imagination of what the noble woman would face in her way, "… Please… please think it over… It's too dangerous. We can't lose you… Aquaria can't lose you…"

"Is there anything left to be thought over, my magistrate?" The valiant queen returned with a question, "We all know too well that no one else is capable of performing the liberation ritual but me, and therefore, if we are to do just that, then I have the obligation to come along. After all, if Aquaria is truly to be destroyed, I'd rather have my body burned alongside my people and servants in the field of carnage than just sitting comfortably on the throne doing nothing."

This time, there was no debate. The noble words had practically closed all chances of rebuttal; but the very same words also moved and heartened every soul in the room. Yvikka, feeling deeply responsible for her suggestion, stood up and saluted her queen.

"I, Yvikka eté Yrsenlaf, shall accompany Your Majesty there. It is my responsibility as the one who suggests the plan, as well as my solemn duty as one of your soldiers to fight for and protect you and ensure that your will be done."

"I shall go as well," Clair stood up and saluted, "I, Clair Lasbard, as Your Majesty's Crimson Blade and one of your soldiers, shall lend her strength to protect the queen."

"My duty is to protect the Apris Orb…" Andressa followed suit, "… even if it means to liberate… or even destroy it. I, Andressa yrm Hjalmgunnar, a Guardian of the Shrine of Kaddan, shall come with you."

Aquaria XXVII gave an intent look at her three servants standing before her. Upon seeing that they were truthfully determined to come along, she uttered her thanks.

"You have my gratitude, my faithful servants…"

"And I…" The magistrate beside the queen muttered, trying to think up something he could do in his part, "… I… shall have the Royal Guards ready to accompany your Majesty there."

"There's no need," the queen declined, "All four of us is enough. We are going to use the secret passage through the Sealed Cavern below to hasten the trip to Kaddan Shrine. Moving in with large number in such a confined space will slow us down… Being in small number, on the other hand, will make it easy for us to maneuver and avoid any unnecessary fight."

"Are you… sure about this… Your Majesty…?" Laselle asked.

"Be not worried," the noble woman smiled at her magistrate, "I've had my share in military training. Besides, the best of my servants are with me."

"It seems that there is no stopping you, Your Majesty," the man gave in, and lifted up a salute, "May Apris' divine protection be with you."

"Thank you," was the queen's prompt answer. She then turned to her other servants, and spoke.

"Please get yourselves prepared. We will assemble at the entrance to the secret passage in the chapel. We leave as soon as everyone is present and ready."

"Understood, Your Majesty," the three women answered in unison.

The queen and the magistrate then left the conference chamber, leaving the three women conversing among themselves, discussing the mission ahead of them as well as trying to get to know each other better.

"I'm Clair Lasbard," Clair introduced herself to Andressa, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can work together well."

"I'm Andressa… Andressa yrm Hjalmgunnar," the priestess answered, "Lady Clair… it's an honor for me to be able to work together with one of the queen's famed Crimson Blades in person."

"It's just as much honor for me to actually meet one of the Shrine Guardians of Kaddan," Clair returned compliment, "By the way… I heard that Yvikka and you are childhood friends."

"Yes… we… were childhood friends."

"Andressa."

The azure-eyed priestess turned at the sudden call, finding a dark-haired soldier standing close to her. Before she could even say a word, she was suddenly wrapped in a strong embrace from the soldier.

"I'm sorry for being so cold to you," Yvikka whispered.

"I-Ivy?" Andressa, so surprised that she unconsciously called the name from the woman's childhood.

"I promise that I'll talk to you more after this mission, so…"

Yvikka pulled away from her childhood friend, casting a deep, soft look into her cerulean orbs, and finished her sentence.

"… so… don't die before me."

With the words, the dark-haired soldier turned and left the room, leaving the priestess very much in a wonder.

---

A moment later, in the castle's Grand Chapel…

The three servants—Andressa, Yvikka, and Clair—could be seen standing near by the closed secret entrance to the Sealed Cavern accompanied by the High Priestess and her daughter, Rozaria, waiting for the queen to come and join them, all prepared for the rough journey ahead of them. Clair, in particular, appeared slightly different than her usual stride, more because of the sword hanging from her belt slightly behind her. She hardly ever brings the sword, much less use it, but this time, she took it with her in expectation of facing fierce fighting.

Not long after, the chapel's doors opened, and from behind them, the queen—for the few times in her appearance—presented herself _without _her royalty garb. At first, the servants didn't quite recognize her, but when they saw the unmistakable face of their ruler under the shade of the cape she was wearing, they immediately bowed before her. She appeared wearing dress similar to Andressa's, only in a different color and marking: a priestess robe paired with loose pants instead of long skirt, completed with hand and shin guards, and a staff held in her hand.

"It's been a long time since the last time I dressed in this attire," said the queen, smiling at her servants' awkward salute, "Being a Holy Mother entails me the title of the Head of the Shrine Guardians, so I am one of the guardians as well."

The queen then solemnly stepped forward and carved a rune symbol in the air right before the chapel's pulpit. A small tremor came as she finished the symbol, and the chapel's stone floor opened up, revealing a stairway leading deep into darkness.

"Everything's set," the gallant queen said softly, turning to the High Priestess, gesturing her.

At the ruler's cue, the High Priestess walked up the pulpit and told everyone to gather before her. When everyone had gathered, she raised her hands and gave her blessings of good luck.

"May Apris' divine guidance light the path of our beloved queen, may His strength be granted upon the brave and loyal servants and protectors who faithfully follow her, and may His divine protection be with you all. I wish you all a safe journey _and_ a safe return."

The queen thanked the High Priestess for the blessings, and proceeded to enter the secret passage, but not before giving a reminder to her companions.

"Please keep in mind," said the queen, turning to her escorts, and smiled, "That now, I'm no longer 'Your Majesty'. I'm now Romeria zin Emurille, Head of Kaddan Shrine Guardians. You are freed from all formalities of facing the queen, and you can call me 'Romeria', if you'd like."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the three servants answered intuitively, to which Romeria smiled sourly because of their unchangeable behavior.

The four nobles then entered the secret passage, on to the Sealed Cavern, and finally, to the Shrine of Kaddan to face what that they thought to be a fight for Aquaria.

In fact, without them knowing it, they were about to fight a battle for the sake of the universe…


End file.
